Deeper than Blood
by Gemini14
Summary: Takes place after 'Fifth Moon' and is an AU from that point on. Meryl has an unusual predicament on her hands she is the mother of Vash's children! What will happen when she has the chance to introduce them to him, and what part will they play in the bat
1. Chapter One

Deeper than Blood

Chapter One: Musings and News

Meryl sighed as she gazed out of the kitchen window. It had been almost two years since the Fifth Moon incident, and she missed Vash deeply. Of course, she would be the last to admit that, but, then again, maybe she would. She remembered, with a blush, the night she and Vash had returned to an inn drunk, and woken the next morning in one another's arms. Then she felt a slight tug on her sleeve.

"Mama? What're you thinkin' about?" a boyish voice asked. Meryl turned and smiled at the owner of the voice. He appeared to be a child of five years, with spiky, cream-colored blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. 

"Just thinking about your father, Lee. That's all." Meryl said, as she gently ruffled the boy's hair. He giggled, and by some unseen signal, his brother entered the room with a drawing he had just finished.

"Hey, Mama! Look what I did!" the twin shouted, as he proudly showed his mother the drawing.

"That's very good, Grant. Who's it of?" Meryl asked, as she held the picture in her hands.

"Of you and Daddy." Grant replied, matter-of-factly. Meryl smiled and shook her head; her children were unbelievably bright, especially for their age. Grant, the elder of the twins, had darker blond hair than his brother, and had his father's aqua green eyes. Lee had his father's sense of humor, and Meryl even caught herself calling Vash's name when she had to call Lee down from being too goofy. But they were both very sweet, very loving little boys.

"Meryl! Hey, Meryl!" Milly's voice shouted, with a tinge of glee in it.

"Hey, Milly! What's up? You sound excited!" Meryl replied, as she stood up and walked into the room Milly was just arriving in.

"I am! The boss has just told me that we have a new assignment! We're going to go after Vash the Stampede again!" Milly said, as she showed her friend the paper to prove it.

"That's great! But…………what about Lee and Grant? Who will watch them while we're gone?" Meryl asked, as she gave her twin sons a look of motherly worry.

"Let's take them with us! Vash will want to see his children for himself!" Milly said, getting a look of shock and horror from Meryl, and looks of childish excitement from the twins.

"B-but Milly! I can't take them with me! It'll be far too dangerous!" Meryl stammered.

"It'll be even more dangerous to leave them here. The curious and the vengeful alike will learn that they are here and seek them out. They'll be safer with us." Milly said, once again proving that she was smarter than she let on. Meryl's shoulders drooped in defeat.

"Fine, you win. They're coming with us." Meryl said, as the two boys cheered.

"Finally! We're going to meet Daddy!" Lee shouted, as he and Grant danced for joy.

"Mama! Will Daddy like us?" Grant asked, calming down first, concerned about that one thing.

"He'll love you, Grant. You too, Lee. There's no way he would ever reject you." Meryl said, gently. Grant grinned a toothy grin, and ran upstairs to get packed, with Lee on his heels.

"This had better be the right decision, Milly." Meryl said, turning a stern gaze onto her friend and partner.

"Don't worry, I'm sure things will be fine. Lee and Grant are both sweet little boys who take after their father. Grant is the serious side of Vash, while Lee is the goofy side. I'm sure Vash will see that." Milly reassured, wincing when something fell with a crash.

"Yep. They're his sons, all right. They have 'Humanoid Typhoon' written all over them." Meryl muttered, with a chuckle, then went upstairs to see what her sons had gotten into this time leaving Milly standing alone, shaking her head.

"Like father, like sons." Milly said, ruefully, as the sounds of scolding came to her ears


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Journeys and Meetings

Lee swung his legs casually over the seat as he watched the scenery go by. Meryl and Milly had managed to get a ride on a bus, and were now on their way to where the Sand-steamer was waiting. 

"Mama, are we there yet?" Lee asked, bored out of his mind from the long ride.

"Not yet, but almost. We'll be there soon, I promise." Meryl said, smiling when Lee pulled his face into a cute pout. 

"_He has no idea how much he looks like his father right now._" Meryl thought, then looked down at Grant, who was sitting on her lap, sound asleep. He was leaning against her, with his head in the space beneath her chin, his hair tickling her face as she breathed.

"This ride is gonna last forever!" Lee grumbled.

"Nothing lasts forever, Lee. Don't worry, we'll get there. Just be a little more patient." Meryl said, as she reached over and ruffled his hair again. 

"Hey, are those two your sons?" one lady asked, from across the aisle.

"Yep. They're mine. I'm taking them to meet their father." Meryl replied.

"Ah. So their father works far away, eh?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, you could say that." Meryl said, not wanting to reveal the truth about her children's father. Finally, the long ride ended, and everyone on the bus disembarked, heading for separate destinations.

"Wow! Lookit that thing, Mama! It's huge!" Grant shouted, awed by the size of the Sand-steamer.

"Are we gonna ride in that?" Lee asked, looking beseechingly at his mother as he said that. Meryl laughed.

"Of course we are! This Sand-steamer is going to take us to where your father is. So we'd better hurry up and get on before we get left behind!" Meryl said, smiling as her sons scrambled to grab their suitcases, and she and Milly did the same. Once they were on board the Sand-steamer, Meryl had the task of keeping up with her sons. Both were eager to explore, and none too keen on staying by their mother's side.

"I wonder if Vash was like this when he was little!" Milly said, giggling as the boys dodged between people, enjoying a game of 'catch me if you can!'.

"If he was, then I am in for double the trouble. Lee! Grant! Stay where I can see you!" Meryl shouted, when the boys had gotten too far away from her for her liking. 

"Aww, Mama! We just wanna explore!" Lee whined, as he reluctantly returned to Meryl.

"Yeah, Mama." Grant said, equally as reluctantly as his brother did.

"I know. But this ship is so big, and a lot of these people are strangers. I don't want anyone to take you away from me." Meryl said, gently, wiping away her sons' disappointment with her concern for their safety.

"We'd never want to worry you, Mama." Grant said, honestly.

"I realize that, Grant. Tell you what, why don't we go exploring together after dinner? We might even go up and say hello to the captain." Meryl suggested. To her relief, her sons' faces lit up and they were all smiles.

"Really Mama? We'll do that?" Lee asked, excitedly.

"Yep. So you'd better eat all of your dinner tonight, if you want to go exploring." Milly said, speaking up before Meryl could.

"Yeah! All right!" Lee and Grant both cheered, then started chattering away about what they might see when they explored the ship later on.

"_Vash_…………………._I hope we find you soon. They want to meet you so bad, I can see it in their eyes._" Meryl thought, as she watched her children take out some well-worn toy soldiers and begin playing.

"So, where is Vash, anyway?" Meryl asked, as she turned to Milly.

"Last reports say that he was last seen heading to New Oregon. That is where the Sand-steamer is heading." Milly replied, as they walked along, going to their cabin. This time around, they had actually been given the funds needed to travel on board the Sand-steamer and didn't have to get a job on board to pay their way. When they had gotten there, Meryl threw her suitcase down and plopped onto one of the beds. She watched in chagrin when Grant and Lee began bouncing on the other bed in the room.

"Come on, you two! Off the bed! We may be away from home, but the same rules apply. No jumping on the beds!" Meryl scolded, as the twins sheepishly got down off of the bed. With a mischievous giggle, Milly got up onto the bed and began jumping, laughing when the twins joined her.

"You're a bad influence, Milly." Meryl muttered, her expression deadpan.

"What's the point of being grown-up if you can't be childish sometimes?" Milly asked, from between giggles, as she caught Grant and began tickling him.

"Agh! Aunt Milly! Leggo!" Grant laughed, struggling to get free of the taller woman's grasp.

"Hold on, Grant! I'll save you!" Lee shouted, jumping onto Milly's back in a childish tackle attempt.

"Hah! Got you too, Lee!" Milly said, as she grabbed Lee and started tickling him.

"Mama! Help!" Lee shouted, laughing uncontrollably as his 'aunt' tickled him.

"Sorry, Lee, but you brought it upon yourself." Meryl said, with a playful smirk, contentedly watching her partner and sons play. 

Later, after the promised exploration of the ship, Meryl sat back and watched as the twins slept. She smiled gently when both mumbled something in their sleep, then snuggled in closer to her. She was sitting between them on one of the beds, to assure them that they were safe in this strange, new environment. With a contented smile on her face, she looked out at the starry night sky that peeked in through the small porthole.

"_Even though I didn't think so in the beginning, I really do feel complete with these two around. I am not just Meryl Stryfe of the Bernadelli Insurance Agency, or the infamous Derringer Meryl, but I am also 'Mama'. Vash, you have given me a rare gift, and I will treasure it forever. I only wish you were here now to share it with me._" Meryl thought, as she lay down between the twins, and switched off the bedside lamp, drifting into peaceful slumber as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Meryl awoke with a start. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

"Lee, Grant, wake up, sweethearts." Meryl whispered, gently rousing the twins.

"What's wrong, Mama?" Grant asked, sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

"I don't know. I'm going to go find out. I want you and Lee to get under the bed. Under no circumstances are you to come out. Is that clear?" Meryl asked, sternly. Both children swallowed nervously and nodded. When Meryl had gotten dressed, and Milly had been awakened and had done the same, the two women left the room, leaving the twins in hiding. Moments later, the shout of a man and the groaned 'Oh no, not again!' of Meryl and Milly reached the twins' ears.

"Mama!" Lee whispered, distressed. Grant stopped him from going out after their mother.

"Mama could be in real danger, Lee. If we go out there, she could get hurt." Grant said, with genuine worry emerging on his childish face.

"Then what should we do? We can't just stay here!" Lee retorted, going quiet when a man entered the room, coming within inches of where they were hiding, and then left.

"I know! But we can't disobey Mama, either! I wish Daddy was here!" Grant said, his voice trembling with fear. Then, suddenly, a tremor ran through both of the twins and, for a moment, a single image entered their minds; it was that of a man wearing a red trench coat and glasses that had orange lenses in them. Instinctively, they knew who this man was: their father!

"Daddy……………….he's somewhere nearby! I can feel it!" Grant muttered, excitedly.

"Yeah………………..If he's here, then that means he can probably save Mama and Aunt Milly! Let's go see if we can find him!" Lee said, as he started to crawl out from under the bed.

"Wait! What about what Mama had said?" Grant asked, concerned about disobeying their mother's order to stay put.

"Daddy needs to know that they are here! If he doesn't know that they are here, then he won't help them! Let's go!" Lee said, urgently. Needing no more convincing, Grant followed his brother out of their hiding place and to the door of the stateroom. As cautiously as he could, Grant opened the door and looked out, relieved when he didn't see any outlaws lingering in the hallway.

"Let's go." Grant whispered, leading the way into and across the hall, ever so careful to not make any noise as they did so. They paused when they heard a voice over the intercom, a voice that had a haunting quality to it.

"What's he singing?" Lee asked, shuddering as the words became clearer.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Grant murmured, also shuddering when the words of death and destruction reached him as well. Then the singing stopped. Lee and Grant exchanged a glance; just what was going on here? With curiosity aroused, the twins continued onward, remembering with startling clarity the way to the central control room. When they got there, they could see that there was a fight going on between two men, and a third man was tied up in the corner of the room.

"Stop! Don't kill him!" one man, a tall blond, shouted, desperation blooming fully in his voice.

"No! That bastard killed my daughter! He deserves to die!" the other man, this one shorter and burlier, replied, as he wrestled with the blond. He tore away from the blond's grasp and rushed over to the man that was tied up, shoving the shotgun he carried into the other man's face.

"No! Don't do it!" Lee suddenly cried, as he ran over and jumped onto the burly man's back, trying to get the man to stop. All three of the men in the room stopped what they were doing and stared in shock at Lee, who was now standing in front of the burly man, with tears running down his face.

"Lee!" Grant yelped, as he rushed to his brother's side and stood before the vengeful father.

"Don't kill 'im! I don't know what he did, but killing him would be wrong! Please don't kill him, mister! Please!" Lee begged, not wanting to see one man take another's life. Despite the shock of suddenly seeing the two children in the room, the burly man's eyes softened and he lowered his gun, not wishing to kill in front of them.

"Thanks, mister." Grant said, softly, grateful that neither he nor his brother would have to witness any bloodshed that day. When the officials had arrived to take the burly man and his hostage away, the blond man sat watching the twins. He was surprised when he saw them approach, looking almost shy as they did so.

"Hello." Lee said, shyly.

"Hey. What were you doing up here when all this was happening? Don't you know it was dangerous to try such a thing?" the blond man asked, referring to when Lee had tried to stop the vengeful father from killing his hostage. Lee nodded, sheepishly.

"Mama's gonna be mad at us for not staying put, but we wanted to find Daddy so he could help her." Grant said, also looking a little sheepish at that moment.

"Oh really? Who is your mother?" the blond asked, curiously.

"Her name is Meryl Stryfe! She works for the Burn-a-deli In-sure-ants Agency." Lee said, sounding out the company name, since he wasn't used to saying it. The twins were surprised when all of the color rushed from the blond man's face.

"And who is your father?" the blond man again asked, this time sounding a bit tense. Grant motioned for the man to put his ear lower, and, when he had, Grant whispered into it.

"Our daddy's name is Vash the Stampede." Grant whispered, as though it were some big secret. It was then that the man moaned and put a hand to his face.

"No……………it shouldn't even be possible…………….Oh Meryl, please forgive me!" the man murmured, obviously distressed by this revelation.

"Mister, are you Vash the Stampede?" Lee asked, curious as to why this information had garnered such a reaction from the stranger. The man looked gravely at them and nodded.

"Daddy…………………" Grant and Lee murmured, in unison, awed that they were finally, and inexplicably, face to face with the man that had sired them.

"Lee! Grant! Where are you? Answer me!" Meryl's voice shouted, as she ran into the control room and came upon the scene.

"Mama!" the twins replied, running over and leaping into her arms when they saw whom it was.

"Meryl………………." Vash murmured, as the shock of finding out that he was a father wore off and turned into guilt.

"Vash…….." Meryl replied, smiling gently as she held her sons, trying to tell Vash with her eyes just how happy she was.

"Look, Mama! We found 'im! We found Daddy!" Lee shouted, gleefully.

"I know, honey! That's wonderful! Did you tell him your names?" Meryl asked.

"Uh-oh, we forgot!" Grant yelped, as he and Lee squirmed out of their mother's embrace and rushed over to where Vash sat.

"My name's Lee!" Lee said, giving Vash the brightest smile he could possibly manage.

"And mine's Grant!" Grant added, also giving Vash a happy smile. Vash looked as though he was at a loss for what to do next; he didn't know whether he wanted to jump up and down and shout for joy, or retreat into himself and punish himself for putting Meryl through such a thing.

"Daddy?" Lee asked, noticing the conflict in the man's eyes. Vash shook his head as though to clear it, then gave his sons a warm and gentle smile.

"Yes, I guess this does mean that I am your dad……………." Vash murmured, then embraced the twins, holding them close to his heart. Although they were startled at first, Lee and Grant collected themselves rather quickly, and returned the hug. Without even realizing it, Vash found himself crying, not in pain or sorrow this time, but, for the first time, he was crying tears of joy. Silently, Meryl came up behind the twins and embraced all three, completing the circle, and cementing an unseen, yet very present, family bond. 

"Now we have a mama and a daddy." Grant murmured, sounding sleepy as he said that.

"Yes. At long last, you have a mama and a daddy. We are a family now." Meryl said, looking directly at Vash as she said that.

"A family…………………..I finally have one. And it feels good." Vash agreed, feeling content for the first time in centuries since Rem's death. Outside, a crowd of people were listening to the conversation, and tears were in the people's eyes. Wolfwood smiled a knowing smile as he looked up at the Sand-steamer. 

"_Maybe now he won't be so reckless._" Wolfwood thought, as he inhaled deeply from his cigarette, knowing that at any time Vash would be emerging from within the Sand-steamer with his newfound family. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Risks and Confrontations

Vash watched as his sons played in the early morning sunshine. This time of the morning was the perfect time to be outside, since it wasn't too cool and the suns have not reached their full daytime heat yet. 

"Hey, Daddy! We've found something! Come and see!" Grant called, from the corner of an abandoned house. Vash smiled.

"Coming!" Vash replied, as he got to his feet, wincing a little at the stiffness he sometimes felt from his many old wounds. When he had arrived at where the boys were standing, he was surprised to see that they had found a spider web. In the web itself was a spider and a butterfly. Then a realization dawned on him; this was almost an action for action repeat of the day Knives showed his true colors for the first time. Tensely, he watched and waited to see what would happen.

"Hey, Lee, can you get the spider? I'll rescue the butterfly." Grant said, not noticing his father's look of discomfort.

"Okay. Come on, Mr. Spider." Lee said, as he gently put one hand between the spider and its prey, and used the other to push the spider onto his hand. When the spider was clear, Grant moved in to free the butterfly. 

"There you go! You're free now, Mr. Butterfly!" Grant said, as he gently released the insect, watching as it fluttered away from him, landed on Vash for the briefest of moments, then flitted away. 

"Sorry about your web, Mr. Spider. Here you go, you're home." Lee said, as he set the spider down on what remained of its web. Vash had to fight to keep himself from sighing in relief; the boys had defeated history instead of repeating it! What pleased him even more was the respect the twins had for life. They had worked together to save both the spider and the butterfly, something he and Knives would never have considered doing.

"Vash, Lee, Grant! Breakfast!" Meryl called, from the doorway of the hotel they were staying in.

"Breakfast! All right! Let's go, Lee!" Grant whooped, as they made a mad dash for the hotel, whizzing past their mother so quickly that she had to do a double take when they were inside.

"They enjoy their food, don't they?" Vash asked, as he stood up (he had been kneeling) and stretched.

"Don't you? It amazes me how fast they have grown. They are really only two years old, and yet they look like any normal five-year-olds. I wonder what caused that." Meryl mused, then added, "Are you all right? You look pale." 

"Guess I've not been getting much sleep here lately. Meryl, there is something you need to know." Vash said, as he walked over to her.

"Yes? What is it?" Meryl asked, sensing that something was bothering the gentle gunman. 

"I will have to go somewhere very soon. If I may, I would like to take Lee and Grant with me." Vash said, as he cupped the side of Meryl's face with his right hand.

"Where will you be going and how long will you be gone? Why can't I go with you?" Meryl asked, concerned for her sons' safety.

"I will be going to visit some friends. I want them to meet my sons………no…..our sons. We should be gone no longer than a day or so. Don't worry, I will make sure nothing happens to them. I would give my life to protect them." Vash said, softly.

"I know, but you still haven't told me why I can't come along with you." Meryl said, with worry in her eyes.

"It would be too difficult to explain, Meryl, without having to go into too many painful and unbelievable details." Vash said, as he leaned against one of the support posts tiredly.

"Vash? Are you sure you're all right?" Meryl asked, as concern for her sons turned into concern for Vash.

"Yeah. I just have a bit of a headache, that's all." Vash replied, quietly.

"Let me see." Meryl muttered, mostly to herself, as she reached up and placed a hand on Vash's forehead. She was startled by the fever she found there.

"You're burning up! Why didn't you tell me you were sick?!" Meryl asked, amazed that Vash was even up at all.

"I had promised the boys that I would watch them as they played. I didn't want to disappoint them." Vash replied, with a weak smile. Meryl tsked as she shook her head in disbelief.

"You're as crazy as you were back then, when you faced Brilliant Dynamites Neon in that duel, wounded as you were. Come on. You need to get back to bed. Those friends of yours will have to wait a little while longer before they can meet Lee and Grant." Meryl said, sternly, as she led Vash back inside by the arm. 

"Thank you, Meryl." Vash murmured, when they had gotten back to his room and he had returned to bed.

"No problem. Stay put, and I'll bring you something to help bring down your fever." Meryl said, before disappearing into her room. Vash sighed and closed his eyes; this wasn't good. He knew that if Knives were to come upon them then, he would not be strong enough to protect his family or friends (Wolfwood had decided to stay with them until the incoming typhoon was past). He winced when a shudder traveled down his spine, signaling the onslaught of chills. It was at that moment that Lee and Grant appeared in the room, looking concerned for him.

"What's wrong, Daddy? Are you sick?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, Dad's come down with something. Don't you worry though, I'll be fine in a little while." Vash said, trying to encourage the twins.

"You sure?" Grant asked, allowing Vash to ruffle his hair.

"Yeah, I'll be all right. Why don't you go play? It'll soon be too hot to do so." Vash suggested, as he looked out at the brightening sky. Reluctantly, the twins agreed, and went back downstairs to finish their breakfast. Meryl soon returned with the medicine Vash needed, and, when he'd taken it and settled down, she watched over him.

"_Something is bothering him, and it's making him this way. What is it? What's he hiding from us?_" Meryl wondered, watching as Vash's brow furrowed and he uttered a soft moan.

"What's wrong with him, Meryl?" Milly asked, as she came into the room and sat down beside Meryl.

"He's hiding something, Milly. Something that is worrying him sick. I wish he'd tell me what." Meryl murmured, as she watched Vash sleep. 

"He's not likely to do that any time soon. Yet, my best guess would be that part of his worry is directed at what might hurt the twins." Wolfwood said, from the doorway.

"You might be right, Wolfwood. But until he comes right out and says it, we'll never know. One thing is certain, he sure is different from the way he was when Milly and I first met him." Meryl said, as she stood and walked towards the door, with Milly following her. This left only Wolfwood in the room.

"Vash, the longer you hide this from them, the more it'll eat you up inside. Whether you realize this or not, those twins' lives depend on what decisions you make. I would certainly hate to be the one to take those children to the orphanage just because you were too reluctant to part with your secrets." Wolfwood muttered, as he looked down onto the pallid features of the Humanoid Typhoon.

By the late afternoon, the real typhoon was well underway. Meryl sat at her desk, thoughtfully watching as the storm raged outside. 

"Hey, Meryl, where's Lee and Grant? I haven't heard a peep out of them all day." Milly said, with a note of concern in her voice. This caused Meryl to bolt to her feet and rush into Vash's room. She was shocked to discover that Vash was missing from his bed, and that a note was on the bedside table.

"What does the note say, Meryl?" Milly asked, when her partner had picked it up and looked at it.

"It says that he's gone to see his friends, and that the twins are with him. He also said that he'll be back as soon as he can." Meryl muttered, as she looked out at the chaos that was whirling around outside.

"They went out in that?! We've got to go after them!" Milly said, as she donned her coat. 

"Dammit! Not only have they gone into that dangerous weather, but Vash is also still sick! He shouldn't even be out of bed, much less dragging my children into that!" Meryl fumed, as she threw on her derringer coat and followed her friend.

Vash panted as he stopped to rest at the base of a cliff. Huddled beside him, Grant and Lee looked worriedly up at him. 

"Are you all right, Daddy?" Lee asked, when he saw the strained look on his father's face.

"I will be………in a few minutes……………It's not far now. The floating platform is just beyond this cliff." Vash said, as he started walking again, gently leading his sons by their hands. When they had reached the cliff, Vash picked up both boys and held them close.

"Now, I want you to both hold on to me. This is the tricky part." Vash said, getting an immediate compliance from the twins. With a deep breath, Vash jumped into the wind, allowing it to carry him and the boys to where a here-to-fore invisible in the sand, floating platform waited. When they had landed, Vash sank to one knee, allowing the boys to get down.

"Whew! Every time I do that I nearly have a heart attack!" Vash muttered, then asked, "Are you two all right?"

"That was great, Daddy! Can we do it again?" Grant asked, enthusiastically. Vash promptly did a face-fault. 

"Hey! Can you give me a hand from up there?" a voice asked, sounding a bit put off. The trio rushed to the side and looked down. They were surprised to see Wolfwood dangling there.

"Uncle Nick! What're you doin' here?" Lee asked, voicing his surprise.

"Following you three! When I saw you jump off that cliff, I thought you were committing suicide!" Wolfwood shouted, in exasperation. Vash smiled, nervously, as he extended a hand to the priest, and helped him up. After Wolfwood had settled into the platform, he lit a cigarette and looked up.

"So, where are we headed?" Wolfwood asked.

"We're heading to one of the ships that never crashed. You and the twins are going to be its first guests in twenty years." Vash said, as the ship itself came into view.

"Wow! It's even bigger than the Sand-steamer! Are we gonna be going inside of it?" Grant asked, getting a chuckle from Vash.

"Yeah, we'll be going inside it. There's someone I want you two to meet." Vash said, as the platform landed near a door. 

"Whoa. I'll bet Mama will never believe us when we tell her about this!" Lee muttered, as they stood and waited for the door to open. They didn't have to wait long. With a whirring noise, the door opened and two people greeted them.

"Vash! Welcome back! It's been five years since you last came here! And I see you have been busy!" the first man, an older man, said, with a kindly smile. This got a blush from Vash and a snicker from Wolfwood. The second man, a tall, younger man, merely uttered a growl under his breath and glared at Vash and his group. 

"It's not nice to glare, mister." Grant said, quietly, having felt the hostility towards his father and was angered by it.

"That's right. Brad; try to be a little more hospitable, if you please. Now, come along. We can't very well leave you all to stand out there, can we?" the older man asked, as he ushered for them to follow. As they followed the older man, Lee and Grant warily looked around. They were surprised and pleased to discover that there were other people on board the ship as well, and not just the old man and the hostile younger man.

"Vash! You came back!" a feminine voice shouted, gleefully, as the owner rushed over to him, nearly knocking him over in her enthusiasm.

"Hello…………………erm……………..have we met before?" Vash asked, struggling to retain his balance as the world spun crazily around him for a brief moment.

"Surely you remember me! It's me, Jessica!" the girl said, with a smile. 

"Jessica? You're that Jessica! Wow, you've grown up on me!" Vash said, relieved when the girl finally let go of him. Jessica giggled, then looked down at the twins.

"Oh! How cute! They look almost exactly like you!" Jessica gushed.

"Yeah, well, they are my sons. Their mother is still in the town nearby. The one with the light blond hair is Lee, and the one with the darker hair is Grant." Vash said, steadying himself against a wall for a moment before moving on.

"Vash? Is something the matter? You seem a little bit quieter than you were the last time you were here." The older man stated.

"Actually, he's sick. He came out here despite the way he felt. Why, I have no idea." Wolfwood said, from the back of the group.

"Come to think of it, you do look pale, Vash." Jessica said, as she put a hand to the gunman's forehead, shaking her head when she'd found his fever.

"I'm fine, really. Doc, there is something I need to talk about with you. Wolfwood, wait here. I'll be back in a little bit." Vash said, as he led the twins away. When they had gotten to a secluded room, Vash tiredly sat down in the one chair in front of the desk, while 'Doc' sat behind the desk. Brad stood in the shadows, eyeing Vash and the twins with distrust and much dislike.

"So, what is it that brings you here, Vash? Does it have to do with that explosion in Augusta?" Doc asked. Vash flinched and nodded.

"What explosion?" Grant asked, confused. The old doctor smiled patronizingly at the boy.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, young man. Vash, what triggered it this time? Was he around when this happened?" Doc asked.

"No, but a man by the name of Legato was. I don't remember much of what happened, but I know that I did it." Vash murmured, sadly.

"And what about the children? What concerns you about them?" Doc asked, watching as Lee and Brad exchanged 'dagger glares' with one another.

"How much of me did they get? How is it that they could have been born at all, considering what I am?" Vash asked, with a troubled look in his eyes.

"Ah, that's where genetics has the answer. Lee, Grant, come over here please." Doc ordered, careful not to startle the boys.

"What do you need, mister doctor?" Lee asked, strangely at ease with the small, unassuming man.

"Would you and your brother mind if I took a blood sample from you to study?" Doc asked, getting an exchange of confused looks between the brothers.

"I guess it'll be all right. Just don't take it from the butt." Grant said, cringing when both Vash and Brad did a face-fault behind him.

"I promise, I won't take it from the butt. Instead, I will take it from the arm. Is that all right with you?" Doc asked, again.

"Yeah, I guess so." Lee said, looking decidedly uncomfortable when the doctor brought out two sterile hypodermic needles and two small bandages. As Vash watched, he was amazed by how brave his sons were; when he'd first been presented with a needle, Rem had had to chase him all over the ship before they could even give him his flu shot!

"There! All done! I am impressed with how brave you two were!" Doc said, as he placed the bandages on the boys' arms.

"That's because we have the bravest dad in the world!" Lee said, giving his father an admiring look as he said that. Vash let out an embarrassed laugh; he'd never been flattered in that way before!

"Your dad ain't even human." Brad growled.

"And who said you were, turd-head?" Lee snapped back, unaware of his father's look of shock as he glared angrily at the adult that had dared to insult his father. With a snort, Brad stormed out, leaving the twins, doctor and Vash behind.

"Don't mind him. He's just upset that he's finally told the girl he loves about his feelings, and she ignored him. Don't take it personally." Doc said, though he still looked a little surprised by the 'turd-head' comment. 

"But he is right. I'm not human, yet Grant and Lee strongly attest that I am human enough." Vash said, smiling softly as the twins gave him a concerned look.

"_I wonder_………………….._How many times did I give Rem that look when I was worried about her?_" Vash thought, looking in confusion at the doctor when he handed him a briefcase.

"You'll be needing this." Doc said, as Vash opened the case. In it, there was a new arm.

"Daddy, why'd he give you an arm?" Grant asked, voicing his and Lee's confusion on the matter.

"Because I lost my real left arm a long time ago." Vash replied, putting a hand to his forehead when a wave of dizziness washed over him.

"Are you all right?" Doc asked, with some concern in his voice.

"Yeah. Just a bit dizzy, that's all." Vash replied, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, in an effort to drive the uncomfortable feeling away.

"Then I'd better give you something for it. Here, these should help to bring the fever down and put a stop to the dizzy spells." Doc said, as he tossed a bottle to Vash.

"Thanks." Vash murmured, sounding every bit as bad as he felt.

"Will Daddy be all right?" Lee asked, turning an almost frightened look to the doctor as he said that.

"He should feel a whole lot better after he takes some of that medicine." Doc replied, in an effort to reassure the boy. They were all startled when Jessica burst into the room, carrying something in her arms.

"Vash! I've got something for you! And for the boys too!" Jessica said, as she handed Vash a red coat identical to the one he'd lost in Augusta. 

"Thank you, Jessica." Vash said, already looking like he felt better since he'd taken two of the pills.

"And these are for you. I started these on a whim and thought they were so cute, that I would keep them for when Vash came back here to show us his family." Jessica explained, as she handed the twins each their own red coat.

"Cool! They're just like Daddy's!" Lee said, as he tried his on. It was a perfect fit.

"And they fit, too! Thank you Miss Jessica!" Grant said, smiling in delight when he found that his coat fit too.

"You're very welcome! I have the outfits that go under them here too. I'll see you in a little while, I've got to finish cooking dinner!" Jessica said, as she bustled out of the room, leaving the four males looking rather surprised.

"It is amazing how much they look like you, now that I see them in those coats." Doc said, as he watched the boys get dressed, ignoring the adults while they were at it.

"Yeah. It's almost scary. Yet, they don't have that malicious streak Knives had; they're both gentle and have a love of life." Vash said, proudly. 

"Hey, Daddy! Lookit this! We have coats like yours now!" Lee said, happily.

"I see that! And they look good on you too! I wonder what your mother will think of them?" Vash asked, now sitting on the desk, since the doctor was detaching the old arm and was working on attaching the new one.

"Doesn't that hurt, Daddy?" Grant asked, flinching when the doctor fitted the new arm into place.

"It hurts a little, but I've become used to getting the replacements. Don't worry about me, son." Vash said, with a smile. 

"Daddy, how did you lose your real arm?" Lee asked, curiously. 

"Lee, that'll be a story I will tell you when you're older. For now, let's just say that I was clumsier than usual." Vash said, half-serious, half-joking. At first the boy looked a little uncertain, but then he smiled and nodded.

"Okay, Daddy." Lee said, as Vash stood and flexed his new arm.

"Wow, this arm's a whole lot smoother than the old one. Doc, you've really outdone yourself." Vash said, as he prepared to put on his new outfit and coat.

"I try. Do you want me to send the children into the hallway while you get dressed?" Doc asked. Vash's expression sobered for a moment and he slowly nodded.

"Please." Vash said, softly, watching as the twins were gently ushered out of the room.

"Why doesn't Daddy want us to see him without a shirt on?" Grant asked, very curious about this turn of events. 

"It's because your father has a rather painful secret he would rather not show you. He doesn't like anyone to see him when he's getting dressed." Doc, who had also come out of the room out of respect for the gunman, said, solemnly.

"Oh." Grant and Lee said, in unison. Moments later, Vash stepped out, looking as formidable as he had the day he'd gone into Augusta.

"Whoa. You look awesome, Daddy!" Lee said, giving his father a hero-worshipping look. Vash only smiled and ruffled the twins' hair. The peaceful moment was shattered when several gunshots sounded down the hall.

"Lee, Grant, stay here with Doc! I'm going to go see what's going on!" Vash shouted, as he dashed down the hall.

"Wait! Daddy, wait for us!" Lee yelped, as he and Grant went after their father.

"Lee! Grant! Come back! It could be dangerous!" Doc shouted, in vain. They arrived at a horrific scene; about a dozen people lay dead on the floor, their blood making the smooth floor slick and dangerous. In the midst of it all, Brad stood with a gun pointed at Wolfwood's head, threatening to shoot.

"Uncle Nick!" the twins shouted, afraid for their 'uncle'. Startled, both men turned to look and saw that Vash, Lee and Grant were standing there, with horror on their faces.

"Who……………….who did this?" Vash asked, with rising anger in his voice. It was then that evil laughter filled the air, and the sound of wooden planks clinking together came to their ears.

"Well, well. It seems that the celebration for you return has begun, Vash the Stampede! And it appears that there are two more attendees!" the sneering voice said, as the apparent owner appeared before them.

"You leave them out of this! This is between you and me!" Vash shouted, angrily, as he got in front of the twins, shielding them with his body. Wolfwood stood where he was and stared at Vash in amazement; normally Vash would have been spouting nonsense about peacefully leaving the people alone, but, since Vash's own children were in the line of fire, he was willing enough to protect them at any cost. Even if it meant killing the Gung-Ho Gun that stood before him.

"_Now that's showing some backbone, Vash!_" Wolfwood thought, with admiration, watching as the hackles rose on Vash's neck, signaling that he wasn't going to take any crap from the ruthless Gung-Ho Guns this time around. 

"Ooh! Such a show of temper! This should get you even more riled up!" the puppet said, as another puppet stepped forward, with a captive Jessica in front of him!

"Damn you!" Vash snarled, whipping out his gun and shooting the two puppets, succeeding in making them shatter into a million pieces.

"Are you all right, Jessica?" Brad asked, as they gathered around her.

"Yes, I…………….I think so." Jessica stammered, understandably shaken by the experience. Then the eerie laughter sounded again.

"You think you've won, Vash the Stampede? Well, there are two more Gung-Ho's in this ship. You'll have to take them out as well." The voice said, with a sinister undertone in his voice.

"Damn. Why do you like to do other people harm?" Vash asked, his voice carrying a steely edge in it.

"Because it's fun. And this is your return celebration, Vash the Stampede." The voice replied, as more puppets appeared. Vash's eyes hardened, but, before he could make a move, he heard a gunshot from the twins' level! Upon looking down, he saw that Grant had one of Meryl's derringers in his hands, and looked up again, just in time to see one of the new puppets fall.

"Grant! Where the hell did you get that?!" Wolfwood asked, in shock that the six-year-old had shot a gun, and nailed one of the puppets.

"From Mama's coat! I had a feeling that something was gonna happen, and Lee had the same feeling. So we took two of Mama's guns and promised that we wouldn't use them unless we had to." Grant replied, shakily. All three of the adults looked at one another in stunned amazement.

"Do you realize how dangerous your decision was, Grant? What if you had hurt yourself? How do you think your mother would feel about this?" Vash asked, keeping one eye on the puppets, and the other on his somewhat shame-filled sons.

"We didn't want you to die, Daddy. If we didn't come with our own weapons, then our visions would have come true." Lee sobbed, as tears came to his eyes.

"Visions?" Vash asked, surprised by this revelation. Lee sniffled and nodded. 

"We'd both had visions of you and Uncle Nick dying and we didn't want them to happen. We wanna protect you and Uncle Nick, Daddy!" Grant said, as he wiped his tear-streaked face with the sleeve of his new coat. Vash sighed and shook his head; yes, these were his sons. They were willing to risk it all for those they cared the most about.

"All right. Just stay close to me. When I tell you to move, you move. Got me?" Vash said, sternly.

"Yessir!" the twins shouted, in response.

"What the hell are you thinkin' Vash?! They're just kids!" Wolfwood cried, aghast that the gunman was going to allow this sort of thing.

"They won't leave my side even if I told them to, Wolfwood. I just hope I can protect them and take care of those Gung-Ho Guns at the same time." Vash said, as he watched Grant reload his derringer carefully.

"Here. I know this is wrong, but these guns will be better than those derringers." Brad said, as he handed the twins each their own ship-made guns.

"Thank you, mister turd-head." Lee said, with a slight smile. Brad flinched, but smiled back anyway.

"You're welcome. But, next time, call me Brad instead, okay?" Brad asked, becoming a little self-conscious about his hair.

"Okay!" the twins agreed. Soon they were running through the halls, taking out any puppets they could find.

"Damn, is it just me, or are those kids natural gunmen?!" Wolfwood asked, watching in amazement as each shot the twins fired found their mark. 

"They get it from their father, I suppose." Brad admitted, as they all stopped before a split in the hallway.

"Which way?" Grant asked, as he looked up to his father for the answer.

"I'll take the right, you four go to the left. We'll meet again at some point." Wolfwood said, as he took off down the right passage.

"All right, let's go." Vash said, as they also ran off. 

"Vash!" the doctor's voice called, through the earring communicator Vash had on him.

"Where are they, Doc?" Vash asked, tensely.

"There's one near the second plant! I think they intend to send this ship crashing into the desert below us!" the doctor said, urgently.

"But that's six floors below us! We'd never make it down there in time!" Brad said, with despair in his voice. It was then that Vash made his arm change into a gun.

"Whoa……………….so it's more than just an arm! Cool!" Grant murmured, awestruck by this development.

"What are you doing?" Brad asked, confused.

"Making a quicker way down." Vash replied, as he started shooting a hole into the floor. It was then that realization set in on the gunman's face.

"You know, I just realized that this might not be such a good ideaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!" Vash said, before the floor dropped out from under him.

"Now that was a stupid idea." Brad muttered, as he and the twins looked down through the hole in the floor.

"Is that how Daddy lost his real arm?" Lee asked.

"Lee, I think it's better if we don't ask about that, ever." Grant said, with exasperation on his face. This got an agreement from Lee.

"Ah, from the mouths of babes." Brad mumbled, grinning when he got a quizzical look from the twins for that remark.

"Never mind. Let's get down there, your father might need help!" Brad said, as he led the way and the twins followed. They got to the plant room just as Vash was knocked to the ground, the sound of ribs breaking filling the air as they stood there. 

"Daddy!" Lee and Grant cried, horrified when they saw their father lying there in a crumpled heap.

"Grant…………………Lee……………….Get out of here……………….Hurry…." Vash whispered, painfully, his eyes widening when he saw the Gung-Ho Gun turn towards Brad and the twins.

"Don't you dare!" Vash screamed, suddenly finding the strength to stand and fire a shot, hitting his enemy in the back, the only vulnerable spot on him. The Gung-Ho Gun fell with a cry, before he could do the twins and Brad any harm. As Vash fell to the ground again, he could hear the trio rushing over to him.

"Vash! Vash, c'mon, snap out of it!" Brad shouted, as worry replaced his earlier distrust and irritation.

"Ugh………………the plant…………….." Vash whispered, coughing a little when the effort in talking proved too much for him. 

"It's been shot!" Lee said, as he rushed up the stairs towards the side of it.

"What should we do, Vash?" Brad asked, as he watched Grant go and join his brother before the glass wall of the plant. 

"You head up the controls, I'll do the rest." Vash said, as he painfully got up and limped up the stairs, joining his children in front of the wall.

"Daddy, she's been hurt." Grant said, quietly.

"I know. Do what I do; put both of your hands on the wall and concentrate." Vash instructed, as he put both of his hands on the wall. The twins did the same, surprised when the humanoid part of the plant came up to the glass and looked out at them.

"She's so pretty. Like a flower." Lee murmured, in awe, as the plant smiled at them. 

"She looks almost like that plant Mama showed us one time; the orchid. Remember, Lee?" Grant asked.

"Mmhmm! I sure do!" Lee replied. Once again, the peaceful moment was shattered by the Gung-Ho Gun launching himself into the air and crashing into the side of the glass wall. The moment the wall started giving way, a small miracle occurred; the humanoid part of the plant separated from the main plant and fell forward into Vash's arms, changing into a more human shape as she did so.

"Whoa!" Vash yelped, as he started to fall backwards, taking the plant-turned-girl and the twins with him. They all landed with a crash at the bottom of the stairs.

"Vash! Grant, Lee! Are you all right?!" Brad shouted, as he ran over to them.

"I will be………………when everyone gets off of my chest." Vash managed. Immediately, the twins and the plant girl got off of Vash's chest, leaving the Humanoid Typhoon to try and get his breath back.

"Vash………….?" The girl asked, looking concerned. Vash snapped his head up and looked at her, stunned that she had survived.

"This is something little boys are not supposed to see." Brad said, as he covered the twins' eyes. After locating a coat (and apologizing to the former owner for taking it) Vash covered the girl so she was a little more decent.

"So, what happens now?" Brad asked, as Vash lay back against the wall, taking each breath slowly, since it was now very painful to breathe.

"I guess we wait till we make landfall. There's nothing we can do now. Her change is irreversible and the main plant is damaged beyond repair." Vash murmured, grimacing with the effort to talk. Then, suddenly, the pain started to ebb and die away. Vash watched in stunned silence as the girl held her hands before his chest and used her mysterious powers to help heal his injuries. When she had finished, she looked up and smiled at him.

"Does it feel better now?" the girl asked, gently.

"Yeah. Thank you very much." Vash murmured, grateful that the pain was gone.

"Hey, do you have a name?" Lee asked, looking up at the girl with innocence in his young eyes. The girl shook her head.

"Then how does Orchid sound? It's a flower name." Grant suggested. The girl smiled, joyfully.

"I like it! Thank you for my name!" the girl said, her hazel eyes filled with happiness.

"Well, at least one good thing came out of today. There's a new person to show the world." Brad said, as he helped Vash to his feet. 

"Yeah. But I hope Meryl won't be too upset by her presence." Vash said, smiling as the twins started talking to Orchid about their mother, 'aunt', 'uncle', and father. 

"Who's Meryl? Your wife?" Brad asked. Vash blushed and shook his head.

"No. But she is Lee and Grant's mother. Maybe, after all this is over, I will ask her to be my wife. Right now, however, it is still far too dangerous." Vash said, thinking about what he had to do in order to preserve his own peace, and that of his family. With a jolting halt, the ship came to rest on the planet.

"Let's go. I'm sure everyone else is going outside." Brad said, as he helped a still weak Vash to walk.

"Wait! Orchid needs shoes! She'll burn her feet if she goes out barefoot!" Grant said, showing that he did indeed have the common sense of the pair. Once again, an article of clothing was borrowed from one of the dead, and once again Vash apologized for taking it. With the salvaged trench coat and shoes, Orchid cut a pretty bizarre sight, as she, the twins, Brad and Vash all emerged into the sunshine. Once they got there, they could see a crowd of angry people gathered into a semi-circle around the ship, and they turned their accusing eyes onto Vash.

"It's all his fault!" one woman shouted, angrily.

"Yeah! If he hadn't come back, this would never have happened!" a man agreed, as he took a step towards them. There were other voices of malcontent, but these were soon silenced by one unexpected voice.

"Shut up, all of you! If it hadn't been for this man, none of us would be standing here! We knew that this would happen eventually, but we preferred to ignore that eventuality! Do not turn your blame onto Vash! If you must blame someone, then blame yourselves!" Brad shouted, angrily.

"You tell 'im, Brad!" Lee cheered, getting a grin from both Brad and Vash for that. 

"Vash!" Jessica shouted, as she ran over to them.

"Jessica! It's good to see that you are safe!" Brad said, happily.

"Yeah! How do you like your new coat, Vash?" Jessica asked, wanting praise from the man she adored.

"It's perfect, Jessica. It fits like a glove." Vash said, with a smile. They were all startled when a voice interrupted the moment.

"Hey! Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood shouted, from a balcony above them. Shock registered on Vash's face when he saw who was with Wolfwood; it was Jessica! Within a second of that realization, the Jessica in front of Vash and Brad changed from bubbly human to deadly puppet, whipping out a gun and firing at Vash. Minutes dragged into eternity as the bullets raced towards Vash, but Brad shielded Vash from the onslaught. With equal quickness, both Grant and Lee fired their guns into the puppet, shattering it just as its gun emptied. Orchid looked on in horror as the man called Brad took the hits for his rival, and as tears flowed down the faces of Vash and the twins. With little more than a moan, Brad fell to the ground, and time resumed it normal flow once again.

"Brad! Hang on!" Vash begged, as he kneeled over the fallen man.

"Uh………………..It took thirteen years for my hands to get this big………………yet you remained the same. You live outside of time, Vash………………" Brad whispered, before finally passing away.

"Brad……………………." Lee and Grant whispered, as tears cascaded down their own faces. Orchid stood where she was in numb shock; this was the first time she had ever witnessed death outside of the plant container, and the lesson stung her like a sharp slap to the face. This was a hard lesson for all of those gathered around the ship; not only could life come into the world, but it could also be taken out.

Hours later, Wolfwood rejoined the group, limping painfully on a wounded leg as he did so. He could see that it wasn't just Vash that was emotionally scarred, but it was also the twins and Orchid as well. 

"Uncle Nick, why did Brad have to die?" Grant tearfully asked, when Wolfwood had sat down and gotten the weight off of his injured leg. 

"I don't know, kid. Only God knows why." Wolfwood murmured, as he looked up at the stars that were just emerging, also wondering the same thing.

Far away, Legato was just receiving word on the new developments with Vash the Stampede.

"Interesting. So he has children of his own, now? Hmm………..The more, the merrier, I suppose." Legato said, with a cruel smile, as he looked out at the starry sky as well.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Lessons and Hope

Meryl gently rubbed Grant's back as he slept, knowing when she heard him sobbing that he was dreaming about what had happened the previous day.

"Here, let me help." Orchid said, as she gently put her fingertips to Grant and Lee's foreheads and concentrated. For a brief moment, she glowed softly, then the light faded, and the children settled into deeper slumber.

"Thank you. I don't know what you did, but they need their rest." Meryl said, sounding as careworn as she looked. 

"All I did was quiet the memories so they could sleep. I know that there is nothing I can do to erase their memories of yesterday, and time is the only thing that will lessen the pain, but I can make sure those memories don't disrupt their much-needed rest." Orchid said, gently.

"I just wish there was something we could do for Vash. He's still blaming himself for what happened back there." Milly said, as they all watched Vash sit in front of the fire, staring morosely at the flames.

"There must be a lot of burdens on his shoulders exactly like the one he is carrying now." Orchid mused, as they listened to Wolfwood's rather weak attempt to cheer Vash up.

"Must be." Meryl agreed, as she finally lay down beside the now peacefully sleeping twins and went to sleep herself.

The next day found them on the 'road' to the next town. With a twin on each lap, Meryl and Vash sat beside one another, in silence.

"Vash?" Meryl asked, finally summoning the courage to speak to him.

"Yes, Meryl?" Vash replied, snapping out of his daze and looking directly at her.

"How are you feeling? In all the excitement yesterday, I had forgotten that you had been sick when you left the hotel with the twins." Meryl said, as Lee shifted into a more comfortable position on his mother's lap.

"I'm still feel a little weak, but I am feeling much better, otherwise. The Doc gave me some pills that cleared up most of the symptoms." Vash replied, quietly.

"I see. It looks like Grant is about to wake up." Meryl said, as the little boy did indeed rouse up and blearily look up at his parents.

"Where are we, Mama?" Grant asked, as he looked to his mother for an answer.

"We're almost to the next town, honey. Do you want something to eat or drink?" Meryl asked, getting an enthusiastic nod from the boy for a response.

"Like his father, all right." Orchid said, remembering what she had been told about Vash's personality before the Fifth Moon incident, and giggling when she got a betrayed look from both parties for a response.

"So, Orchid, are you gonna stick with us from here on out?" Wolfwood asked.

"I guess so. I really don't have anywhere else to go, so I am safer sticking with you people." Orchid said, as she fiddled with the sleeve of her new dress (Milly had gone shopping while the rest were trying to console Vash and the twins and had bought Orchid the dress and a new pair of shoes). They were all relieved when they reached the gates of the next town.

"Hey! Excuse us! Can we come in?" Meryl asked, as she knocked on the huge door that barred the way into town. She was answered by a gunshot.

"What the hell are you shooting at us for?! We haven't done anything to you!" Wolfwood shouted, angrily.

"Get out of here! We don't want you here!" a few sentries on top of the gates replied, equally as angry.

"We're not here to hurt you! Please! Open the gates!" Milly said, jumping back when a bullet hit the ground near her feet. Wolfwood growled angrily and jumped in front of Milly to shield her, unfortunately landing on his bad leg in the process. With a mighty effort, Wolfwood caught himself and prevented his leg from collapsing out from under him, grimacing as pain tore through the wound.

"Wolfwood! You shouldn't even be standing!" Milly said, concerned when she saw a bright crimson patch staining through the bandages she had wrapped there earlier that day. 

"Don't worry about me. It's just a little scratch; no big deal." Wolfwood said, from between gritted teeth.

"A little scratch that is causing you big problems. Come on. Let's get out of here." Meryl said, knowing that they were unwelcome, and not wanting her children to become targets. Reluctantly, they all turned to get back into the car, and were surprised when they found a strange boy in the car.

"Hey!" Vash said, and the boy took off.

"Wait!" Lee called, as he and Grant came to life and chased after the strange boy. All three were stopped by Milly.

"Say thank you to the nice man." Milly ordered, gently. The strange boy tried to get around her, but Milly was too quick for him.

"Say thank you." Milly repeated. Reluctantly, the boy turned and faced Vash.

"Thank you." The boy said, softly, almost shyly, before racing off into the desert.

"Hey! There's nothing but desert out there!" Wolfwood shouted, then felt Milly's gaze on him.

"Let's follow him." Milly suggested. Getting an agreement all the way around (and especially from the twins), they were soon on the strange boy's trail. They arrived at a decrepit farm. 

"Let's see if anyone's home." Wolfwood said, as he limped over to the door. It was Meryl who knocked on the door.

"Hey, is anyone here?" Meryl asked. They were answered by the door opening and all sorts of junk getting thrown at them.

"Get outta here! You're not welcome! Go away!" the children inside shouted, angrily.

"Give us a break! We mean you no harm! We just want to stay for a few days, that's all!" Wolfwood said, trying to negotiate with the irate children. 

"Hey! Come and get it!" Milly shouted, as she unloaded the emergency rations and dumped them at the children's feet.

"Wow! Food!" the children shouted, excitedly, as they promptly dug in.

"Milly, that was our emergency food." Meryl said, giving her children a chagrined look as they helped to pass the food out to the others. 

"Well, it looked like an emergency to me, Meryl." Milly said, with a smile. Orchid could only watch in fascination as the children ate, wondering how they could all be so hungry. As the hours passed, and things settled down, Lee and Grant got the chance to make some new friends. They had a captive audience as they told of their adventures so far, and skipped over the painful part of when Brad had died right in front of them. 

"And then we shot that puppet, BANG! And it fell apart!" Grant said, as Lee played the part of the 'evil puppet', getting gasps from the audience. Meryl chuckled as she watched this performance; she could tell from their actions that the twins were healing, and that things were soon going to be all right. But Vash worried her. He had returned from talking with another of the children with a dark cloud hanging over him. 

"_What had that child told him?_" Meryl wondered, as she watched the sun set.

"Hey, time to come in! Grant and Lee can finish telling their story tomorrow!" Meryl said, getting groans from the other children as a response. As they tucked the other children in that night, Meryl noticed that one was crying, and that the twins were near him, trying to comfort him. With a gentle sigh, Meryl lay down next to the sobbing child and, with her presence, calmed him down enough so he could drift into normal slumber. As Vash watched them sleep, he wondered what the future held for him and his children. He knew that, by now, Legato and maybe even Knives, knew about the existence of the twins, and that things were about to get a whole lot more dangerous for them.

"_I've got to protect them! They are the only family I've got!_" Vash thought, then looked out a window at the starlit sky.

"Rem, Am I doing the right thing? Should I stay near them, despite the danger that is following me?" Vash murmured, jumping when a hand grasped his shoulder.

"C'mon. They're all asleep. There's nothing more we can do tonight." Wolfwood said, as he looked in on the sleeping children as well.

"Yeah. You're right." Vash agreed, as he softly closed the door behind him.

The next morning, everyone in the derelict farmhouse was rudely awakened by gunfire.

"Everyone! Stay away from the windows!" Meryl shouted, as she held her sons and one of the orphans close to her.

"Mama, what's going on?!" Grant yelped, clinging to his mother for dear life.

"I don't know, Grant! But I think something happened that has made that town's residents angry!" Meryl said, looking out the window when the gunfire abruptly stopped, gasping when she saw that Vash and Wolfwood were out there.

"Daddy!" Lee shouted, as he tried to get a better look.

"Why're Uncle Nick and Daddy out there? They didn't do anything wrong!" Grant yelped, very concerned about his father and the priest.

"I don't know………….." Meryl trailed off, flinching when the angry villagers knocked both men to the ground, and one of them kicked Wolfwood in his bad leg. Before the villagers could kill Vash or Wolfwood, rumbling from underground sounded, and giant sand worms emerged. Amidst the chaos, Grant and Lee were moving towards the men, trying to see if there was anything they could do to help.

"Those worms are big, but they can't be very smart. Maybe we can get their attention and draw them away." Lee murmured, as he watched the worms close in.

"Are you crazy?! There's no way we can outrun them!" Grant rebuked, wincing as an earth-shattering crash shook the house.

"We can at least try! Uncle Nick's leg is still hurt and you know that at least both him and Daddy will try to lead those worms away!" Lee said, as he felt for the gun Brad had given him (and that Meryl had let him keep, at Vash's request) and looked determinedly out the window.

"All right. Let's hope this idea of yours works." Grant muttered, finally giving in to his brother. Silently, the twins sneaked past all of the adults, and headed for open ground. It took only a few seconds for Meryl to realize that they were out there.

"Omigod! Vash! The twins!" Meryl cried, as Vash and Wolfwood (who was leaning heavily on Vash's shoulder) turned and looked to see what was going on.

"Dammit, those kids are determined to get themselves killed!" Wolfwood grumbled, as he tried to stand up on his own, but ended up falling to the ground when his bad leg gave out.

"Lee, Grant…………………." Vash muttered, uncertain on what to do at that point. Out in the desert, the twins reached a safe distance from the house and hatched their plan.

"Nyah, nyah! You can't catch us!" Lee shouted, making ugly faces at the worms while he was at it.

"C'mon! come an' get us, you ugly worms!" Grant added, tauntingly. The worms stopped for a moment and stared at the twins, then started chasing them. With a scream, both boys took off, running full tilt.

"Yep. They are your sons, all right." Wolfwood muttered, his expression deadpan, as they watched the boys run away from the herd of sand worms. 

"Eheh…………………." Vash chuckled, sighing in exasperation as he also watched.

"Aaaaagghhh! This was your idea, Lee! How're we gonna get outta this one?!" Grant asked, as they ran hell for leather away from the rampaging worms.

"Don't ask me! I didn't think that far ahead!" Lee replied, as they continued running.

At the town, Meryl looked back, waiting for the twins (and rescuing father) to arrive. Already the town was under attack by sand worms, and she, Orchid, and Milly were hard put to it to try and keep everyone together. When one child broke away from the group, Milly went after him.

"Wait! Don't go that way!" Milly shouted, as she took off.

"Damn………….." Wolfwood gritted, as sweat beaded on his brow, wincing as pain throbbed through his injured leg, angry that he couldn't help Milly. 

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be all right." Meryl said, then noticed that Vash was running through the streets, with the twins at his heels.

"Vash! Go find Milly! She's gone after a stray one!" Meryl said, trying to get the point across to the gunman. Vash looked at her and nodded, then said something to the twins only they could hear at that point. 

Lee looked around as the town crumbled around them. 

"Daddy! I see them!" Grant shouted, as he pointed out Milly and the boy she'd run after. She was holding the little boy close while she shielded him.

"Milly! Come over this way!" Vash shouted, getting the woman's attention. With a nod, Milly stood and started running, following Vash and the twins closely when they started heading back to where Meryl and the rest waited. When they had gotten to the meeting place, both Meryl and Wolfwood breathed sighs of relief; their loved ones were safe, for the moment. 

"I'm sorry, Mama! It was my fault! I should've thought it through!" Lee said, guilty that he had caused his mother to worry.

"Don't worry about that, Lee. I'm just glad that you and Grant are safe." Meryl said, too relieved to actually scold her sons about their reckless behavior. 

"Mama! It's almost as though those worms are being controlled!" Grant blurted, just as another worm emerged from under the sand. 

"Move!" Wolfwood shouted, as they all began to try and run away from the worm. Vash, on the other hand, started running towards the worm, hoping to draw it off. As he passed the group of children, he sensed what might have been the trigger for the worm attacks. In a move that startled and awed the twins, Vash fired his silver gun backwards, hitting the earpiece that one boy was wearing, and shattering it. Immediately, the worms stopped attacking and dove back under the sand, disappearing from sight.

"You were using a high frequency to control those worms, weren't you? Why did you do that?" Vash asked, as all attention turned to the boy that had worn the earpiece. The boy sneered at him.

"That's because I am Gung-Ho Gun number four: Zazie the Beast." The boy said, as shock registered on the faces of Meryl, Milly, Vash, and Wolfwood. The only two who didn't react were Lee and Grant.

"Who're the Gung-Ho Guns? And why're you actin' so weird?" Lee asked, as he took a step towards the Gung-Ho Gun.

"Stay where you are, child of Vash the Stampede, or your mother gets it!" Zazie threatened, as he pointed one of the pistols he had on-hand at Meryl.

"Damn you………….." Wolfwood growled, yelling in pain when Zazie fired a shot into his already wounded leg.

"Why are you doing this?! Peter!" one child cried, pitifully.

"Zazie…………I am Zazie the Beast." Zazie muttered, watching as Vash got a little closer.

"You're pushing yourself too much. You cried last night." Vash said, gently.

"Shut up!" Zazie snarled, firing off another shot, this one knocking a button off of Vash's coat. 

"Yeah! And we told you it would be all right!" Lee added.

"Weren't you rooting for me earlier?" Vash asked, looking directly into Zazie's eyes as he said that.

"A demon can always lock up and destroy consciousness and memories." Zazie said, with an insane light in his eyes.

"And yet, demons can be exorcised, if the spirit is willing to help kick out the demon." Orchid said, as she stood before Zazie and placed her hands on his head.

"What?! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Zazie screamed, as Orchid's healing power entered him.

"Exorcising the demon." Orchid murmured, as she increased her power little by little. Meryl, the twins, Milly, Wolfwood, and the rest of the children watched in stunned silence as Orchid silently did what she could for the possessed child. Then, with not even a whimper, Zazie slumped forward into the waiting arms of Vash the Stampede. Orchid fell back, weakened by using her powers, but landed against Milly, who gently guided her to the ground.

"Did you win, Orchid? Did you drive the demon out of Peter?" one little girl asked, quietly.

"Yes. The demon is gone. Peter is Peter, once more." Orchid said, as she wiped the sweat from her brow, and watched as Lee and Grant tried to rouse him.

"Hey! Peter! Peter, wake up!" Grant said, shaking the other boy by the shoulders in an effort to rouse him.

"Ooh, my head………………….where am I? What happened?" Peter asked, sounding like the child he was. 

"Good, you aren't talking weird anymore. That's a relief!" Grant said, in all honesty. Peter gave him a confused look.

"Talking weird? What do you mean?" Peter asked, honestly confused.

"He probably doesn't remember all that he has done, and that is for the better. Let's get out of here before the townsfolk decide they want a round two." Wolfwood said, as he tried to stand, but ended up nearly passing out from the pain.

"But first we go to a doctor and get that bullet out of your leg. It'll get infected if it isn't treated soon." Milly said, sternly. Wolfwood sighed in resignation. 

"Fine then. But just long enough to get the bullet out of my leg, then we head for the next town." Wolfwood said, as Milly giggled and Vash and Meryl exchanged amused glances. 

The next day, they were on the road again, this time heading to one of the abandoned towns. Lee and Grant were almost asleep on their parents' laps when they heard something move in the back of the car.

"What wuzzat?" Lee asked, as he got off of Meryl's lap and looked back.

"Dunno." Grant said, as he too looked back. To their surprise, Peter poked his head out from under the luggage.

"It seems we have a stowaway." Vash said, as he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and brought him out, setting him down between him and Meryl.

"Great. Just peachy." Wolfwood muttered, sarcastically, getting a laugh from Milly, Meryl, Vash, Orchid and the twins. 

"What are we going to do with him?" Meryl asked.

"Why not take him with us? He's already half the way to the next town, now." Milly suggested, as she continued driving (since Wolfwood had been ordered to stay off of his leg and that included not driving. Milly had been elected to drive). 

"Might as well. Welcome to the crew, Peter." Vash said, as he and the rather confused boy shook on it. 

"Yeah!" Lee and Grant cheered, happy that someone closer to their age was traveling with them.

Author's Note!

Sorry about the rushed chapter, but I wanted to get to the next chapter as soon as possible. Major plot twists coming up, so stay tuned!

Gemini


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Miracles and Responsibilities

Wolfwood cursed as he tried to repair his motorcycle. Beside him, the twins handed him the tools he needed.

"Wrench." Wolfwood muttered. Lee handed him the wrench.

"Damn. Hammer." Wolfwood again muttered. Grant handed him the hammer.

"Why'd you need the hammer, Uncle Nick?" Lee asked, wincing when Wolfwood hit the now stuck wrench with the hammer, sending both flying into the air and into a nearby trash can.

"Never mind. Thanks anyway, kids." Wolfwood said, with an exasperated sigh, as he went to retrieve his crutches and stand back up.

"You're welcome. But why're you tryin' to repair this thing anyway? You can't ride it the way your leg is now." Grant said, as Wolfwood hobbled over to the trash can and distastefully removed the lid, watching with a deadpan expression as a black cat jumped out of it.

"So it'll be ready when my leg is healed. I like having an extra mode of transportation in case the main one breaks down." Wolfwood replied, making a face as he retrieved his tools from the bottom of the can.

"Oh. But according to Daddy and Aunt Milly, it's the motorcycle that's always breaking down!" Lee said, remembering what he'd been told about the first meeting with Wolfwood in the desert. Wolfwood rolled his eyes.

"Ignore that. Anyway, you might as well run along. Meryl's probably lookin' for ya." Wolfwood said, shooing the twins away.

"Okay! See ya later, Uncle Nick!" the twins said, before running back to the house the group was staying in. They had arrived in the abandoned town the previous day, and Vash was almost immediately back in his melancholy mood. The moment he'd seen the single word on the monument in the town's center, the life just seemed to leave his face. The word itself puzzled all but Wolfwood and Vash; the word was _Knives_, scrawled in blood red spray paint across the monument's facade. 

"Mama, what does the word 'Knives' have anything to do with?" Grant asked, when his mother had sat down to take a breather.

"I don't know, Grant, but it seems to be bothering your father." Meryl replied, as she gazed out the window at the town center.

"Hey, Mama, do you want me to take something to Daddy for him to eat?" Lee asked, looking for a reason to spend time with his father.

"Yes. Take these sandwiches to him. He hasn't been eating well since this whole 'Gung-Ho Gun' mess started." Meryl said, as concern flickered across her features for the man she'd come to love.

"Be right back!" Lee said, but Meryl knew that that meant 'I might be awhile' in Lee Language. When Lee had found his father, he was still sitting where he had been an hour before, and he sat down next to him.

"Hey, Daddy, here's some sandwiches. Mama said for you to eat them." Lee said, hoping to get a response from the depressed man. 

"Huh? Oh, thanks Lee. I'm sorry I'm worrying you. There's just an awful lot on my mind right now." Vash said, as he gently took the bag from his son and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Does it have to do with that ugly word?" Lee asked, as he pointed up at it.

"Yeah. That and more. It has more to do with the person who put it there." Vash murmured, distantly, his expression difficult to decipher. That night, as the adults were sleeping, Lee, Grant, and Peter sat up, talking quietly with one another.

"Daddy said there was something more about that word that bothered him. But what is it?" Grant asked, as the other two boys shrugged.

"Beats me. I hardly even know 'im, much less know what he acts like when he's not sad." Peter said, as he turned to his gaze to the silent moonlit streets outside.

"I wish there were still people here. It's too quiet." Lee commented, straying from the subject at hand.

"Yeah. It's like a graveyard at night, only the silence stays even into the daylight." Peter murmured, thoughtfully.

"Pete, did you ever think of writing a book?" Grant asked.

"No, why? It's not like I even know how to write!" Peter said, startled by this change of topic. Grant smiled.

"Mama always says that when she hears someone talk like that. It was a very spooky description." Grant said, leaning forward slightly to emphasize his point. 

"Yet very true. I wonder what happened to everyone? And I wonder what it has to do with that word on the monument?" Lee mused, as all three of them looked out the window, halfway expecting to see some sort of ghost flit past.

The next morning, Vash was walking quietly out of the house. He had made a decision late the previous night that he didn't want to drag his friends and family into even further danger and was going to leave without saying where he was going.

"Leaving us without even saying goodbye? Don't you think that would hurt Meryl and the twins?" Wolfwood asked, as he emerged into the sunlight, carrying the Cross Punisher with him.

"Shouldn't you be resting? That leg can't be anywhere near completely healed yet." Vash said, unaware that the twins had woken up and were sneaking a peek around the door jamb. Wolfwood shook his head in annoyance.

"Forget my leg! You and I live completely different from one another! Do you remember that one-on-one we had ages ago? Well, let's finish it now!" Wolfwood said, as he unbuckled the shroud from around the Cross Punisher and aimed the huge weapon at Vash.

"What brought this on?" Vash asked, not hearing when Grant put his hands over his brother's mouth in an effort to keep him quiet.

"If I tell you, will you be willing to die? Draw your gun!" Wolfwood ordered, clenching his teeth as pain began anew in his injured leg.

"Stop it, Uncle Nick!" Lee suddenly shouted, as he escaped from his brother's grasp and got between his father and the priest. 

"Lee!" Wolfwood, Vash, and Grant all yelped at the same time.

"Why're you fighting each other? You're on the same side!" Lee said, trying to talk sense into the adults.

"Stay out of this, kid. I don't want to hurt you." Wolfwood said, his voice low and serious.

"You'll have to go through me in order to get to my father! You'll have to kill me first!" Lee shouted, as angry tears cascaded down his face.

"And me too!" Grant said, quietly, as he joined his brother in the standoff. For a moment, Wolfwood froze; his loyalty to his former teacher (who had popped up from nowhere the previous day to see him) and his reluctance to hurt children warring within him. Finally, he lowered the Cross Punisher with a sigh. He could not go through with it; he could not kill the children he had almost adopted as his own nephews in order to get to their father. He just couldn't do it.

"Wolfwood…………" Vash murmured, stunned about what had just taken place. Then, suddenly, Wolfwood ran over, scooped the twins towards their father, and blocked a shot that had come from nowhere with the Cross Punisher.

"Hide, now!" Wolfwood shouted. Immediately, Vash, Lee and Grant dove for cover, with Wolfwood closely following them.

"Who's shooting at us now?" Grant asked, ducking as another shot took off a chunk of a table.

"I think the culprit is outside of the town. Vash, you go and take care of him. Lee, Grant, you two go back to where your mother is. I'll take care of the other guy." Wolfwood said, with determination in his voice.

"But………" Lee began, but found himself cut off when Wolfwood put a finger to his lips.

"Not another word, kid. You can't come with us and that's final." Wolfwood said, sternly, as Vash leaped through a window and took off in the car.

"What's gonna happen to you?" Grant asked, sounding afraid for the priest.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." Wolfwood said, as he disappeared out the door. With much reluctance, the twins did as they had been told and returned to the place where Meryl, Milly, Orchid, and Peter were waiting. The moment they entered the house, however, the sound of machinegun fire reached their ears.

"Uncle Nick…………." Both twins muttered, before taking off in the opposite direction. They ran through the center of town, following the sound of the Cross Punisher's machine gun, fearing the worst. 

"We're not gonna make it, Lee, we're not gonna make it!" Grant sobbed, as the machine gun sounds and explosions got even farther ahead of them.

"We can't give up, Grant! We can't!" Lee replied, as they continued running. After hours of frantic searching, they found their father leaning against the car, looking downright miserable.

"Daddy, have you seen Uncle Nick?" Grant panted, breathlessly.

"Here he comes." Vash said, as Wolfwood limped over, looking a bit rough, but pleased with himself.

"Uncle Nick! Are you all right?" Lee asked, worriedly. Wolfwood smiled down at the boy, with an unusual gentleness in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm all right. You two look tired. Have you been looking for me all this time?" Wolfwood asked.

"Yeah. We were afraid that you were gonna die!" Grant said, noticing when a slight look of pain entered Wolfwood's eyes.

"Uncle Nick?" Lee asked.

"Vash, Knives is in Berd." Wolfwood said, looking directly at Vash when he said that. Vash stiffened in surprise.

"How do you know? I never told you about Knives!" Vash said, looking up and finding Wolfwood gone, and the twins following. Then he sees the blood trail on the ground.

"_Oh God_…………………._Wolfwood! Not you too!_" Vash thought, as he made a move to follow the trio.

"I hope you don't mind if I come in here." Wolfwood murmured, as he opened the doors of the town church, not knowing that the twins now followed him with fear in their eyes. They could see the blood that was dripping from a wound in Wolfwood's chest, and knew that such wounds were, more often than not, fatal.

"_We can't let him die._" Grant telepathically said, to Lee. Lee's eyes widened for a second, then he sobered and nodded.

"_No, we can't. Aunt Milly would be sad if he left her now, or ever. We've gotta save him somehow._" Lee replied, in kind, as they watched Wolfwood approach the altar and fall to his knees. Silently, the twins walked over and joined him, wanting to save their 'uncle' yet not knowing exactly _how_ to do it. Yet. 

"I don't want to die! There is still so much I want to do!" Wolfwood murmured. These words brought tears to the twins' eyes and, without thinking, they placed their hands over the heavily bleeding wound in Wolfwood's chest. Wolfwood's eyes immediately snapped open when he felt the gentle touch on his wound.

"Lee…………………Grant………………….What……………….?" Wolfwood choked, painfully.

"_Don't try to talk, Uncle Nick. Use your strength to help us save you!_" Grant's voice said, inside of Wolfwood's mind. 

"_H-how the_…………………….._?! What're you doing?!_" Wolfwood asked, his eyes widening when he saw bright light come from the twins, and felt it sink into him. He grimaced as the mental energy firmly took hold of the bullets in his body and removed them with a surgeon's care. Then the wounds sealed themselves after that. Wolfwood sighed as the energy became more gentle, giving his spirit the strength it needed in order to remain in his body. Then he felt the twins withdraw, and he felt himself drift into the sweet oblivion known as sleep. 

When Vash had caught up with the trio, he was stunned at what he saw when he entered the abandoned church. He could see Wolfwood lying there, in deep sleep, and saw the twins curled up on either him; but the twins looked different somehow! With uncertainty, Vash walked over and gently turned one of the boys onto his side and gasped. The twins had aged! Now, they no longer looked like they were five or six years old, now the looked like ten-year-olds! And the oddest thing of all was the fact that their clothes had grown with them.

"_Meryl's never going to believe this. What could have caused this growth spurt?_" Vash wondered, as he watched the twins and their 'uncle' sleep, still at a loss for what to do next.

"_I guess whatever happens, happens._" Vash thought, with a shrug, as he then exited the church, heading for the house so he could tell the others of the twins' and Wolfwood's whereabouts. Wolfwood and the twins slept on, oblivious to what was going on.

Legato shook his head, amazed despite himself. One of his spies had just reported in, and the news was unbelievable; two more Gung-Ho Guns were lost, and Wolfwood had been saved by the twins' emerging powers.

"Those twins could become a threat to us. Eliminate them and their troublesome father as soon as possible. Is that clear?" Legato asked. Behind him, his spy nodded, then vanished without a trace.

Milly let out a wail of joy as she rushed towards Wolfwood, hugging him tightly against her and crying into his chest.

"I'm glad to see you too, honey. Now, can you let me breathe, please?" Wolfwood said, jokingly.

"Oops! Sorry, Mr. Priest! I'm just so happy to see that you're okay!" Milly sobbed, smiling as she said that.

"It's all thanks to Lee and Grant. They saved me." Wolfwood said, honestly.

"But how? How could those two little boys do such a thing?" Milly asked, greatly confused by that statement.

"I don't know, but they did it somehow." Wolfwood said, as he watched Meryl hover beside the twins' bed, looking decidedly anxious about them.

"Vash, you say that they are only sleeping, but are they really? What if they are in comas or something? Shouldn't we go to a town that has a doctor or something?" Meryl asked, nervously.

"It's all right, Meryl. They'll wake up, and it'll be as though it never happened. They might remember saving Wolfwood, but they probably won't remember how they did it." Vash said, smiling slightly, when one of the twins muttered something under his breath and rolled over.

"If that's the case, then why did they suddenly grow? What caused it?" Meryl asked, still very unused to this, even though she knew that the twins were special ever since their first growth spurt.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But I can safely say that, no matter what, they will age normally now. They won't have any more of their childhood taken from them in that way." Vash reassured.

"I hope you're right. Vash?" Meryl asked.

"Yes, Meryl?" Vash replied.

"Where are we going from here?" Meryl asked, concerned with where the journey would take them next.

"We're going to Berd. It's time I confronted Knives, and settled the score, once and for all." Vash said, with quiet resolution in his voice.

"Then we'll stand by your side, always. I think I am safely speaking for everyone here when I say that." Meryl said, with a grave smile. Vash smiled and nodded, then looked around the room. Wolfwood was leaning against the door frame, with a cocky grin on his face. Milly was standing beside him, looking happy and content to be by the priest's side. Orchid stood at the foot of the twins' bed, giving him a serene smile. Peter was sitting on his bed, also looking a little cocky. The twins were still sleeping peacefully, but he knew he had their full support. Then he looked back at Meryl. 

"I know. And that's why I say I am ready to face him." Vash said, with new confidence in his eyes. On the bed, even though they didn't know what was going on, both twins smiled in their sleep, and dreamed of a peaceful future. A future that had a slight chance of happening; even if the chance was very great indeed. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Struggles and Chances

It was early morning when they all again piled into the car and headed for the next town. Lee and Grant were marveling at their newfound height, and were pleased that they now looked to be the same age as Peter. 

"Hey, Daddy, or should I say, Dad, can we get some doughnuts when we get to town?" Lee asked, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, Dad, please?" Grant joined, getting a laugh from the rest of the group. 

"Well, I don't see why not. What does your mother say?" Vash asked, as he drove (Wolfwood still had a little bit of a limp, so they had figured to keep him from driving for a little bit longer). The twins turned a pleading gaze to Meryl.

"All right, all right! I never could refuse that look!" Meryl said, getting a whoop from the twins for a response.

"But you always refused that look from me, Meryl!" Vash stated, with a whining tone in his voice.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious why, Vash." Wolfwood said, with a smirk.

"Don't start with me, Wolfwood." Vash muttered, in mock anger. For the first time in a long time, Vash was clearly enjoying himself. The twins were awake, and more vibrant than ever, and feistier. When Vash had told the group about Legato and Knives, the twins had immediately jumped up and wanted to go after the men who had hurt their father. 

"We'll make Knives wish his name was Spoons!" Lee said, as he smacked a fist into a palm, getting some sounds of surprise and some chuckles from the adults.

"Or Forks!" Grant added, getting a shaking of heads from everyone else.

"Feisty. They sure didn't get that from you, Tongari." Wolfwood said, with a smirk.

"Of course not! They got it from their mother!" Milly said, getting a deep red blush from Meryl as she said that. Vash had to keep himself from veering off the road for that remark. 

"Milly!" Meryl yelped, turning around in the front seat to face her partner.

"Well, it's true!" Milly retorted, as the nearest town came into view.

"LR Town, straight ahead! Remember to get thirty double dollars worth of doughnuts, Mr. Vash!" Peter said, grinning at the thought of the pastries.

"Right, right. But save some for me, okay?" Vash asked, as he stopped and parked the car in front of an inn. 

"Well, I'm going to go and take a look around. Care to come with me, Milly?" Wolfwood asked, winking at her as he said that. Milly beamed.

"Sure! See you all later!" Milly said, as she hopped out of the car and allowed Wolfwood to lead her away by the arm.

"Behave yourselves!" Meryl shouted, getting a look of chagrin from Wolfwood for a response.

"Don't worry, we will!" Milly replied, giggling when Wolfwood turned an exasperated look onto her.

"Where are they going?" Peter asked, curiously.

"That's for them to know. Come on, let's go take a look around. We need to get some new clothes anyway." Orchid said, as she ushered Peter into the nearest shop, leaving Vash, Meryl, and the twins standing near the car.

"I'll be right back. I'd promised to get those doughnuts for the boys." Vash said, as he was about to walk off.

"Wait, Vash." Meryl said, almost sounding stern.

"Huh……………?!" Vash trailed off when Meryl pulled him down to her level and kissed him on the lips.

"Eww! Mama! Dad! Gross!" Grant and Lee shouted, getting chuckles from their parents and a few bystanders for that.

"Wow…………………where'd you learn to do that?" Vash asked, dazedly. Meryl shrugged.

"I guess it's something that's learned on the spur of the moment." Meryl replied, with a playful grin, before releasing the gunman from her grasp.

"Sure seems that way……………I'll go and get those doughnuts." Vash said, looking as though he were walking on air all the way to the lady who was selling the pastries on the street corner. Unbeknownst to any of them, two sinister figures were watching the events unfold.

"It's almost sickening, watching them be so happy and content!" one grumbled, as he held a saxophone gently in his arms.

"I know. And those little half-breed brats are in the way as well. Yet, for some reason, Knives-sama wants them alive." The second said, as he watched the twins and their mother sit down and wait for Vash to return.

**__**

Flashback

__

A carriage pulled by two tired looking Thomases groans to a stop before a huge gate. Before it stands a man with a Cross Punisher, but it isn't Wolfwood. Silently, the two occupants of the carriage emerge, revealing that they were none other than Legato and a Gung-Ho Gun by the name of Midvalley the Hornfreak. 

"That's good. Just the man I wanted to see. I'm sure you would be happy to know that Nicholas D. Wolfwood is alive and well." Legato said, coldly. The man with the Cross Punisher stiffens in surprise.

"You lie! I filled him with enough lead to have killed a small brigade! How could he have survived?!" the man asked, breathlessly.

"Two half-breed children used their powers to remove the bullets and heal the wounds. But that is not important. You're part in this is over, Chapel the Evergreen." Legato said, mentally twisting the other man into a painful position. Chapel screamed as he felt several vertebrae in his back shatter under the pressure, knowing that, even if he were released from this position, he would be paralyzed for life. While Legato was doing that, Midvalley was raising his saxophone to his lips; stopping when the gate opened. Legato bowed as a tall man with cream colored blond hair stepped towards them, his blue eyes lifeless and completely lacking in sanity.

"I would like to ask you, why have you come here? Isn't that worthless student of yours' still alive?" the man asked, with the same coldness as Legato.

"I thought there was no where else to go. I didn't know Wolfwood was still alive!" Chapel replied, painfully.

"That's strange. Animals usually run when they sense danger, yet your behavior has no meaning." The man, Knives, said, then turned to Legato.

"What news of Vash?" Knives asked, as an orb of darkness formed over Chapel.

"He has children, Knives-sama. A pair of twin sons." Legato answered, quietly. For a moment, something flickered behind Knives' eyes; a flash of something almost human.

"Twins? How could that be? Vash and I are the only ones of our kind on this world!" Knives mused, ignoring the final death cries of Chapel, and the shudder of revulsion from Midvalley in response.

"Their mother, regrettably, is human. They are half-breeds." Legato said, never once meeting his master's gaze. But this didn't spare him from his master's outrage.

"Human?! Vash had children with a human?! When did this happen? When?!" Knives roared, pinning Legato to the wall by his right shoulder with a spike of stone.

"Two years ago……………………._before the Fifth Moon incident, Knives-sama." Legato choked, the pain overwhelming, even for him, since he'd been caught off guard._

"Is there anything more you have to tell me?" Knives asked, his voice underlined with ice.

"They………………….._they have some sort of power. Healing power. But it seems that they can only use it when they are together." Legato said, as blood stained his white coat._

"Is that so? Then maybe they can be redeemed, after all. Bring them, and Vash, to me alive. Do what you want with the others." Knives said, as he turned his back on Legato and walked back into the place beyond the gate. When the gate had closed, Midvalley rushed over to Legato and pulled the stone spike out of the latter's shoulder.

"What do we do now? Wait for them to come to us?" Midvalley asked, as he put pressure on Legato's shoulder wound to stop the bleeding.

"It's about all we can do. They will be arriving in LR Town tomorrow afternoon. When they get there, all we'll have to do is wait for our chance to strike." Legato said, closing his eyes and setting his jaw when Midvalley removed what was left of the shoulderguard and the coat and wrapped some bandages firmly around the shoulder, arm, and chest.

"Yet, how do you intend to face Vash, with the way your shoulder is now? Even with your powers, you won't heal that fast! If anything, Vash actually will fight back, if his children are involved!" Midvalley reasoned. But he got no response from Legato, since his superior was already in a trance-like state, attempting to heal himself.

****

End Flashback

When Vash returned with the doughnuts, Milly and Wolfwood had already returned, both of them looking rather pleased with themselves.

"What's up?" Vash asked, knowing that there was something behind the smiles from both of them.

"Oh, we just stopped by the nearest church and said some vows, that's all." Wolfwood said, nonchalantly.

"You two got married?! Congratulations!" Vash said, looking, for once, genuinely happy for his friends. Milly smiled, still giddy from all that had happened.

"You could have at least invited us to the ceremony! Honestly!" Orchid said, in exasperation.

"I'm glad we missed it. At least we didn't see any more yucky kissing. Blech!" Lee commented, looking every bit as disgusted as he felt. Grant and Peter only shuddered; even imagining kissing was disgusting!

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say, Lee. Now you won't be getting any doughnuts." Vash said, as groans of protest rose from the three boys.Meryl smiled and shook her head; she felt happy for Milly and Wolfwood, but she also felt a little envious. She looked at Vash with longing as he eventually gave in to the boys pleas for the pastries, and wondered if they ever would have a life together. Then, suddenly, the entire town went silent.

"Vash, what's going on?" Meryl asked, as she gathered the twins in close to her.

"Someone's here." Vash muttered, as he handed Peter the bag of doughnuts and cautiously looked around. All around them, people were lying unconscious.

"What happened to them all?" Grant asked, as he stared at the fallen people.

"That, little one, is my doing." A voice said, coolly. Immediately, Wolfwood and Vash rushed for their weapons, returning with equal quickness to stand in front of their loved ones.

"Uncle Nick, who is that guy?" Lee asked, as he and Grant peered around the two men.

"Legato………….." Wolfwood and Vash muttered, their eyes hard and angry. This caused a shudder to travel down the spines of both twins. 

"I have come for the twins. Knives-sama wants to see them." Legato said, fixing his unsettling gaze onto the two boys who were peeking out at him from around the men.

"Over my dead body." Vash growled, with a fierceness he didn't even know he had.

"As you wish. If you survive, meet me on that hill. I will be waiting for you there. And bring the twins." Legato said, as he turned and left, but not before Grant noticed something about him.

"Dad, his right shoulder, it had bloody bandages on it!" Grant whispered, as they all watched Legato leave.

"Grant's right. Knives must have kicked the dog." Wolfwood muttered, with some sarcasm laced into his voice.

"I almost feel sorry for him. Having to do the bidding of that evil man, even while he's hurt!" Milly said, with pity in her eyes for the retreating figure.

"He doesn't deserve much pity, Milly. He's ordered a lot of deaths over the years, without showing a single iota of remorse for any of them. He's a monster, plain and simple." Wolfwood said, as he eased up, and Vash did the same. 

"That may be so, but Vash the Stampede is the same kind of monster, underneath!" another voice said, from behind them. They all turned to see another man standing there.

"Who're you?!" Vash asked, as he and Wolfwood changed positions.

"Allow me to introduce myself; I am Gung-Ho Gun Number Eleven: Midvalley the Hornfreak. I am the one with the best music. Let me play a song for you, Vash the Stampede!" the man said, his words causing a stir in the townsfolk.

"Vash the Stampede?! Run!" one man shouted, as the people began evacuating the town. When the dust settled, there were only Vash and his group, and Midvalley, standing in the street. With a smile, Midvalley raised the saxophone to his lips.

"Move!" Wolfwood shouted, as he shoved the rest of the group out of the way, before a blast of controlled air roared past them, hitting the ground where they had been standing.

"Damn!" Vash shouted, as he leaped to avoid another attack, and blocked one with his body when one was aimed at Meryl.

"Vash!" Meryl cried, in alarm, when Vash collapsed to one knee. 

"I'm fine, Meryl. See if you can get to the car and get everyone out of here. I don't want to involve the twins or Wolfwood." Vash said, quietly, as a thin rivulet of blood slid down his face. 

"But you're crazy! You can't face this guy alone!" Meryl argued, as Vash stopped yet another attack with his body, this one aimed at Orchid and Peter.

"Go………………….Get out of here! Now!" Vash ordered, wincing when Wolfwood fired a missile at Midvalley and cursed when it was stopped in midair. 

"There's gotta be a way to stop him! But how?" Lee muttered, as he, his mother, 'aunt', Orchid, and Peter took shelter in a storm shelter (Wolfwood had refused to hide and was still fighting).

"Waitaminute! That instrument! Every time he attacked, he played some notes on it! He must be manipulatin' the air somehow!" Grant said, as the sounds of battle intensified. 

"Then how do we get close enough to destroy that horn? He'll blast us if we get too close!" Lee said, knowingly.

"Then we'll have to sneak up on 'im! He's making too much noise to notice anything else!" Grant said, as he felt for his gun.

"This is crazy, but this time it's your idea. I'm not at fault this time." Lee muttered, as they looked towards the door, seeing that their mother was sitting against it, making sure that her children didn't escape this time. Before Lee could even ask, Grant led him to another door for the storm shelter, and sneaked out. They came upon the two men struggling to stand up, and they could see Midvalley standing with his back to them, gloating over what he was doing. 

"We can't miss. We can't risk hitting him." Grant muttered, as he took aim. His brother did the same, getting into a kneeling position in front of his brother so that his aim was lower. With an unspoken signal, the twins fired their guns at the same time, making it sound like one shot. One bullet hit the mouthpiece of the saxophone, and the other hit the base of it. All Midvalley could do was stare in shock at his ruined saxophone while the twins rushed over and stood in front of the stunned Wolfwood and Vash, their eyes glinting with determination. 

"I've never seen such a look in children's eyes before……………..these half-breeds are truly remarkable! So, just for them, I will play my song of death. It is my fate." Midvalley muttered, as he pressed a hidden button on the saxophone and revealed the hidden guns in the instrument. To the horror of the twins and Vash, the guns were facing Midvalley!

"No! Don't do it!" Vash cried, his words echoed by the twins. Midvalley sneered, and pressed the triggers. Time slowed to a crawl as the guns discharged into Midvalley's body, and it resumed normal pace when the body hit the ground. 

"He………………….he killed himself…………………but why? Why?" Grant asked, his voice soft with shock, as his brother sobbed brokenly beside him.

"That's what happens to all Gung-Ho Guns that fail Knives. They are either killed by their own teammates, or they commit suicide. It's a cruel fate, but they see no other way out of it." Wolfwood muttered, solemnly.

"Is that what's gonna happen to Legato? Is Knives going to dispose of him too?" Lee asked, as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I don't know, but, knowing how my brother disrespects life, that might be the likely scenario. As much as I dislike Legato, I don't want to see him die." Vash said, as he painfully stood up and looked towards the hill.

"Dad, we're coming with you. You might need us up there." Grant said, determinedly.

"No, you two stay here and protect your mother." Vash argued, getting stubborn looks from his sons as a response.

"I don't think you're going to get out of that so easily, Vash." Wolfwood said, when he'd seen the twin looks of determination that were directed at the gunman.

"B-but, they can't………………." Vash started, but was cut off by Wolfwood shaking his head.

"Those two heard the conditions Legato set out for you earlier. If you don't bring the twins, you'll not only have to worry about what Legato might do to the townsfolk and those we care about, but you'll also have to worry about them sneaking off behind you." Wolfwood said, seriously.

"Will you be staying behind, Wolfwood?" Vash asked. Wolfwood nodded.

"Somebody's got to keep an eye on the girls and Peter. You three just be sure to come back." Wolfwood asked, with some concern for the twins' safety in his voice.

" We will." Vash said, then looked down at his sons; they had been forced to grow up so quickly, not just in a physical sense, but also in an emotional sense, as well. They now looked back at him with grim understanding in their eyes. Yet, besides all that, there was still the love of children towards their father in their eyes, and the hope that they would live quietly afterward. 

"Let's go. Legato's waiting." Vash murmured, getting a nodded agreement from the twins. As they walked off, Wolfwood leaned on his Cross Punisher and watched, wondering if that would be the last he saw of Vash the Stampede and sons.

"_The Humanoid Typhoon_…………………._and his Twin Tornadoes._" Wolfwood thought, as he stuck a cigarette into his mouth and lit it, watching as the smoke wafted up and dissipated into the cool evening air.

Legato waited patiently for Vash on the hill. He winced when his shoulder protested against any movement, and felt the fluid warmth in the bandages, signaling that he was bleeding again. His face betrayed no emotion as he watched Vash and the twins' approach, but he arched an eyebrow when he saw how much Lee looked like Knives.

"_How ironic it is that the gentler of the twins looks almost exactly like Knives-sama. Still, that can be remedied._" Legato thought, then privately wondered why Knives would even bother to want the half-breed children in the first place. 

"We're here, Legato." Vash said, his voice hard. 

"Then I suppose this is it. The final confrontation. Children, were you ever told what the Fifth Moon incident was all about?" Legato asked, quietly.

"No, and it has nothing to do with us. It happened before we were born." Grant replied.

"Oh, but it has plenty to do with you. And it has everything to do with your father." Legato said, as he clenched his left fist. The twins jumped when the top of their father's gun popped off, and golden light emanated from it. 

"W-what is that?!" the twins yelped, frightened by this development. 

"The power your father possesses. The power that put the hole in the Fifth Moon." Legato said, as Vash's arm started transforming. Lee and Grant watched in horrified silence as the light changed their father's arm into a powerful weapon. All the while, Vash was screaming in pain. With great effort, he got it to change back into his arm again. 

"Dad!" Grant yelped, when Vash had reversed the transformation and fallen to his knees from the effort. 

" I'm all right………………Damn………………it almost happened again." Vash muttered, breathlessly. Lee glared balefully at Legato.

"How could you do that?! How did you control his arm?!" Lee asked, angrily.

"Hmph. Simple child. It is because I have your father's left arm. That is what connects me to him." Legato said, with a sinister sneer. Both children froze, once again having horror and disbelief settle onto their features. 

"So that's what happened to his arm! You monster!" Grant shouted, as he fired a shot at Legato. Legato dodged the shot easily, and started walking slowly towards them.

"_We've gotta do something! We can't let him take us!_" Lee telepathically said.

"_I know. But how can we stop him? He'll just dodge our shots!_" Grant replied, as he nervously eyed the approaching leader of the Gung-Ho Guns.

"_Grant, we've gotta see if we can use our power again! It's our only hope!_" Lee said, as they started to back up. When they had gone back as far as they could, Lee and Grant hatched their last ditch plan. They stood their ground, and Lee held out a clenched left fist, with which Grant covered it with his right hand. Then they closed their eyes and concentrated. Vash watched in amazement and horror as the light that had shown over his arm suddenly emerged over his sons' arms! Both twins gritted their teeth as their arms melded into one and formed the gun they had seen on their father's arm.

"No! Don't use it! You won't be able to control its power!" Vash cried, but his sons' couldn't hear him, the roar of the power was so great. Legato watched as the light grew in the gun, and his eyes widened when they fired it. The powerful blast ripped through the air, and disintegrated Legato's left arm. Legato fell back with a gasp, landing on his right shoulder in the process. Now that the arm was gone, Legato had no control over the pain, and he passed out from it. With much effort, the twins brought down the power levels on their own, and their arms separated afterwards. Vash was stunned; the twins had controlled their power when he couldn't! 

"Unbelievable…………………….Absolutely unbelievable!" Vash muttered, as his sons turned and grinned tiredly at him.

"Sorry about your arm, Dad." Lee said, looking a little guilty about destroying it.

"That's all right. I don't miss it. I'm glad you two are safe." Vash murmured, as he hugged the twins, relieved that the fight had ended without death. 

"We're glad too, Dad." Grant said, then looked wonderingly at Legato.

"What're we going to do with him? Knives'll probably kill him if we leave him here." Lee said. Vash sighed and shook his head; they were his sons, all right. 

"Let's get him back into town. He'll be in a world of hurt when he wakes up." Vash said, as he picked up the unconscious assassin and carried him back to town, with the twins trailing behind him as he did so.

Not so far away, Knives could sense when the connection between himself and Legato was severed. Instead of feeling sorrow, he merely sneered.

"_Fool. May he rot in oblivion. Vash, I will be waiting. Come to me, and bring my nephews with you._" Knives thought, with a wicked grin, as he gazed down on the desert below him with insanity in his eyes.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: Stories and Confessions

Grant watched the figure on the bed like a hawk, nervously fingering his gun while he was at it. 

"Grant, it's all right. I think he will remain unconscious for a little while longer. His body must still get over the shock of losing a limb in such a violent manner." Orchid said, as she gently placed a hand on the child's tense shoulder.

"I know, but the arm didn't even belong to him!" Grant objected, as Orchid went to the bedside and looked down. 

"Yet, it was attached to him. Legato is a normal human again, and feels pain. And the pain he felt when he lost that arm was too much for him." Orchid said, as she placed a hand on the unconscious man's forehead. She drew back in surprise when Legato's eyes slowly opened and he looked up at her, his eyes glazed with pain.

"Who are you………………..?" Legato asked, his voice barely even audible.

"My name is Orchid. I was with Vash and the others the day you came into LR Town, remember?" Orchid asked. It took a moment for Legato's mind to clear and remember that day.

"Yes…………..I do remember you…………..weren't you standing with Zazie and those other two women?" Legato asked. Orchid nodded.

"I was, but Zazie goes by the name of Peter, now. I exorcised the demon from him." Orchid said, gently.

"You're like Knives-sama and Vash the Stampede, aren't you?" Legato asked, his voice still very soft.

"I am. And yet I am like everyone else." Orchid said, with a kind smile. Legato merely blinked in confusion, then looked when Meryl opened the door and entered the room, carrying fresh bandages in her arms.

"Is he awake?" Meryl asked.

"Yes. He woke up just a few minutes ago." Orchid said, as Meryl looked down at him, quietly. Legato gazed calmly back, then looked at Grant. The boy glared fearlessly back at him, crossing his arms as though to say 'you don't scare me!'.

"Your son is quite the brave one; assuming a bodyguard position for someone when he is so young." Legato murmured, wincing slightly when the two women helped him sit up.

"He takes after his father. His brother does too, for that matter." Meryl said, as she undid the bandages and looked at the stitches the doctor had placed in the shoulder.

"I am inclined to agree with you on that." Legato said, flinching when Meryl dabbed at the stitches with an alcohol-soaked washrag. 

"So, what're you going to do when your arm is fully healed?" Meryl asked, as she started wrapping fresh bandages around the wounded appendage. 

"I don't know. A one-armed assassin wouldn't live long on this world, and farming would be impossible, since it takes both hands to operate the necessary machinery." Legato said, sounding a little at a loss for what to do now.

"You could try running a general store. It takes only one arm to operate a cash register." Orchid suggested. Legato gave her an unreadable look.

"It would take two hands to stock the shelves. I'm afraid that wouldn't work, either." Legato said, with an exasperated sigh. 

"Or, when we can trust you enough, we can get you an arm to replace the one you've lost." Lee, who had come in unawares, said, startling all in the room, including Legato.

"Well, now, for someone who wanted to take me apart yesterday, you seem benevolent today." Legato said, dryly.

"Actually, it's been ten days since then." Grant said, referring only in part to what had transpired on the hill above LR Town.

"Ten days? And there hasn't been anyone to look for me during that time? Strange." Legato murmured, his golden eyes taking on a distant look. 

"Why do you say that? Are there more Gung-Ho Guns out there?" Meryl asked, as she finished bandaging and looked the former assassin in the eye.

"There are, but it'll take them awhile to regroup. They now consider themselves to be without a leader, and a new one could emerge in this time. It would probably mean my life if it were to be revealed that, though maimed, I am still alive." Legato said, calmly, though Meryl could tell that it troubled him greatly.

"Do you actually value your own life, now, Legato?" Wolfwood asked, as he and Vash entered the room, dressed as normal civilians, and not in their usual garb.

"What do you think, Nicholas? For the first time since that arm was attached, I am able to think for myself." Legato replied, his expression never changing, even as he spoke to his one-time enemy.

"Mr. Legato, how did Knives attach that arm to you? Why did he do it?" Grant asked, curiously.

"Do you really want to know? It's a rather unbelievable tale." Legato said, looking a little surprised when all around him leaned in to hear the story (including a just arrived Milly).

"Please, tell us. I'm rather interested in what made you into the cold bastard you were ten days ago." Wolfwood said, with a hint of challenge in his voice. Legato rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, wincing slightly when that action caused a twinge of pain in his shoulder.

"My tale begins twenty-five years ago…………….."

**__**

Flashback

__

Legato looked up when he heard the groans of two Thomases close by. He smiled when he saw a young woman and a little boy get off of one, and saw a younger man get off of the other.

"Leggy! How're you doing?! It's been so long since we last saw you!" the woman said, as she joyfully hugged Legato's neck. 

"Good to see you too, Sis. How are you doing?" Legato said, laughing as the little boy ran over to him, arms outstretched as he did so.

"I'm well! Have you heard about July? It was awful!" the woman said, as the younger man strode up, his broad, honest face glistening with sweat and red from the sun.

"Yes. How are the people handling it? I'd heard that there were some casualties." Legato said, with some concern in his voice.

"Yeah. They said some outlaw going by the name of 'Vash the Stampede' destroyed the entire town with one blast. Bernadelli is having a fit!" the man said, with a shake of his head.

"I'd believe it. So, Miranda, Luke, where are you heading? There isn't much out here anymore." Legato said, as he motioned to the dilapidated town near them.

"We just wanted to visit you for a while, Uncle Legato!" the boy chirped, earning himself a chuckle from the golden-eyed man for a response. 

"Is that so, Michael? Well, I suppose I should leave off from my work here and get you all settled in. Come on." Legato said, as he led them to the only house that was in good shape.

"Legato, how is it that you can manage living alone all the way out here?" Luke asked, as they walked into the house, surprised that it was actually cooler inside than out.

"If you're talking about my handicap, I will be honest with you and say that it hasn't been easy." Legato said, as he reached up and gingerly touched what remained of his left arm.

"Mother's been worried about you, Leggy. Ever since you had that accident, you've been a little more distant than usual." Miranda said, with concern in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me. I can manage. It's just taking me a while to adjust, that's all." Legato commented, as he set about fixing the evening meal, surprising them with his kitchen prowess. 

The next day, Legato left for the field, to see if there was anything he could salvage from his garden. To his surprise, there were several rows of corn, and a few other vegetables that were somehow clinging to life, despite the desert heat. Then he remembered his mother marveling at this same phenomenon when he was younger.

"She had always said that there was something about me that made the garden plants continue to grow despite the lack of water and the heat. I wonder what she'd meant by that?" Legato mused, as he started walking back to the house. His face paled when he saw smoke rising from it, and started running when he heard gunshots. He got there just as a band of outlaws were preparing to leave.

"Who the hell are you?! Why have you done this?!" Legato asked, and was answered by a gunshot. He gasped when he felt searing pain in his chest, and could hear the outlaws' cruel laughter as they rode away from the burning farmhouse. 

"Humans are such vile and cruel creatures, aren't they?" a voice asked, in the back of Legato's mind.

"Who's there? Who are you?" Legato replied, coughing as his lungs filled with blood, forcing him to cough violently in order to clear them.

"Who I am, you will know in time, Legato." The voice replied, coolly, as a brief mental image appeared before Legato's pain-filled eyes.

"What do you want from me? I can sense that you are a superior being, but what would you want with me?" Legato asked, tears forming in his eyes when he saw his house finally collapse; burying the remains of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew within it. 

"I need an ally, Legato. I am choosing you because of what you are." The voice said.

"What I am? I'm human, the same species that has just destroyed three innocent people." Legato said, as he turned a hate-filled gaze onto the retreating outlaws.

"You are more than human, Legato. Destroy that pestilence! Destroy the ones who have caused you pain! You have the power to do so!" the voice said, audibly this time, as something attached itself to the stump of Legato's left arm. Legato let out a cry of intense pain as a burning connection seared itself into him, forcing him to clench his fists in agony. Fists? Legato looked down in shock to see a new arm attached to his body. The skin was paler than his own, but, when he flexed the arm, it worked perfectly.

"It is as I thought. Your Plant blood is stronger than your human blood, and that made it easier to attach his arm to you. Now, destroy those vermin." The owner of the voice snarled, before collapsing beside Legato. With hatred boiling in his veins, Legato fixed his golden gaze onto the outlaws and concentrated. Mentally, he twisted the outlaws into grotesque shapes, before finally snapping their backs or necks, or twisting the bodies apart, listening with sick pleasure to the spraying of blood on the sand.

"Very good, Legato. You're learning. Your true mother's blood is flowing strongly through you. Now, carry me to the place I show you. Then, I will give you your first orders." The voice ordered, coldly. 

"Yes, master." Legato murmured, as all emotion draining from his voice and eyes as he said that. With much effort, Legato forced himself to his feet, picked up the unconscious man beside him, and carried him away; disappearing from view into the desert. 

****

End Flashback

"………..And the rest, as they say, is history. I followed his orders from that time till ten days ago, blindly, forgetting why I had joined him in the first place." Legato murmured.

"So you're like the twins. Did you have a brother, Legato?" Vash asked. Legato shrugged (as well as he could, anyway, considering he only had one arm and it was injured).

"I don't know. The Plant-walker who bore me left only me on the doorstep of the family known as Bluesummers that long ago night. I didn't even find out about my Plant half until Knives-sa………………Knives told me about it." Legato said, catching and preventing himself from calling Vash's brother his master.

"But Orchid, you'd said that he was human." Grant whispered.

"I meant that he was human in the sense that he has his emotions again." Orchid amended, smiling when Lee looked up at Legato with curiosity in his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Legato asked, returning Lee's look with one of confusion.

"I'm tryin' to figure out what your twin would look like………………if you have one." Lee replied, as he continued to gaze at the former assassin.

"One Legato is enough. This world doesn't deserve to be tortured by two." Wolfwood muttered, getting a rather dirty look from Legato as a response.

"Oh boy, I have the feeling those two are not going to get along." Meryl muttered, as she and Milly watched the two dark-haired men glare daggers into one another (of which Wolfwood was surprised that he wasn't twisted in half by now).

"Mr. Legato, are you hungry? I could fix you something, if you want." Milly suggested, trying to break the men's concentration (and their staring contest). She was answered by a loud growl from Legato's stomach.

"I'll take that as a yes." Milly said, with her usual smile.

"That was embarrassing." Legato muttered, getting snickers from a few in the room while he averted his face, trying to hide the fact that he was embarrassed. That moment seemed to break the ice, and in moments, Grant, Lee, and Peter were chatting comfortably with the former assassin while he played a game of cards with Vash, Meryl, and Wolfwood (Orchid and Milly were preparing dinner).

"You're cheating." Wolfwood grumbled, as Legato set down another set of three matching cards.

"How could I be cheating, Nicholas? I'm not the one who has three out of four aces hidden in his shirtsleeves." Legato replied, languidly, smirking when the priest gave him a flustered look.

"Do you really have those aces in your sleeves, Wolfwood?" Vash asked, looking just a tad perturbed.

"No! I do not!" Wolfwood declared, but went pale when the three cards fell out of his right shirtsleeve.

"Right…………………Tell us another one, Nicholas." Legato said, his golden eyes glinting with amusement, while the twins laughed at the rather miffed expressions that were being exchanged between Wolfwood, Vash, and Meryl. Peter merely shook his head.

"And adults call us immature!" Peter murmured, as the adults continued their game, despite a few mumbled curses from Wolfwood for getting caught cheating.

Author's Note! 

I realize that this chapter is shorter than others have been, and that the twins didn't feature very prominently in this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter, though!

Gemini


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Decisions and Final Encounters

The next day, Meryl found herself watching as Vash prepared to leave. Beside him the whole way were the twins. They were dressed in their identical red coats, now repaired from the damage the Angel Arms had done on them eleven days before. 

"So, you're really going." Meryl said, as the trio walked out of the house they had been staying in.

"Yeah." Vash said, quietly.

"Don't worry, Mama, we'll be back." Lee said, then turned and hugged his mother, burying his face in her clothing and breathing deeply.

"Oh Lee, you and your brother have grown up so fast! Be careful out there, and obey your father!" Meryl said, as tears came to her eyes.

"We will, Mama." Grant said, as he joined in the hug. Then they reluctantly let go of her and returned to their father's side.

"Vash, you be careful, too. I want you to return and be a true father to your sons." Meryl said, trying to sound stern despite her tears.

"I will. When I return, I will fulfill my role as father to Lee and Grant………….and as a husband to you." Vash said, smiling gently when he saw Meryl's look of surprise, and held her close when she embraced him.

"I promise I will return. But I must go now, if I am going to face Knives and get the peace we want." Vash said, as he gently broke the embrace, placing a kiss on Meryl's forehead as he went.

"Hey, Tongari, take this with you." Wolfwood said, as he handed the Cross Punisher to Vash.

"But what will you use if you all are attacked?" Vash asked, as Wolfwood gave him a rather impatient look.

"We'll manage. Besides, it's not like the girls are unarmed." Wolfwood said, as Milly hefted her huge gun and Meryl checked her coat for her derringers.

"And I can still handle a gun." Legato added, as he leaned against the doorway.

"As though we'd actually trust you with one." Wolfwood said, dryly, as he and Legato exchanged dirty looks again. Vash, Meryl, the twins, and Milly rolled their eyes.

"Let's just hope you two aren't related." Vash muttered, then picked up the Cross Punisher, his eyes widening with surprise when he felt how heavy it was.

"It's so heavy!" Vash commented, voicing his surprise.

"That's because it's filled with mercy!" Milly said, before Wolfwood could say anything. It took Vash a few moments to think of what to say next. 

"Thanks, Wolfwood. Everyone. I guess we'd better get going. See ya later." Vash said, as he ushered the twins away, carrying the Cross Punisher as he went. When they were a good distance away from the town, Lee looked up at his father, his expression questioning.

"Dad, where was Orchid? Why didn't she come out to say goodbye?" Lee asked, curiously.

"I don't know. I didn't see her anywhere inside the house before we left. I wonder where she is?" Vash mused, as the three of them walked along, the desert wind blowing their long coats about as they moved. 

"Maybe she went to the store. She'd mentioned going to get some groceries last night." Grant suggested.

"That could be it. Now, save your strength, it's a long walk to where Knives is. And cover your mouths so you don't end up with sand in them." Vash said, watching proudly as his sons obeyed and covered their noses and mouths. Little did they realize that they had obtained a shadow…………….

Knives looked up when he sensed his brother's presence, and those of the twins. To his surprise, he found himself wondering what the twins' personalities were like; were they anything like him and Vash? Or were they completely different?

"_Well, I guess I will find out when they get here._" Knives thought, as he tried to sit patiently at his verandah table and sip his wine. As the sun climbed in the sky, he could almost imagine the twins; one with his creamy blond hair and sapphire eyes, and the other with Vash's golden hair and aquamarine eyes, and both with the 'needle-noggin' hairstyles. 

"_Quite a pair they must look! I can hardly wait to meet them!_" Knives thought, despite himself, despite the hatred he had for their human blood. As the sun started to sink, he found himself looking out across the desert, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his long estranged brother, and the nephews he'd never met.

Vash paused for a moment to allow the boys a much needed sip of water, and turned just in time to catch sight of someone else on one side of them.

"Who're you? Why are you following us?" Vash asked, feeling for his gun, as the robed figure walked up to them. To his and the twins shock, it was Orchid!

"Orchid, what're you doin' out here?! I thought you had stayed in town to do some grocery shopping!" Vash yelped, voicing his surprise, as well as that of Grant and Lee.

"I had to follow you, Vash. I thought I might be able to heal Knives! There must be a way to resolve the fighting between you without bloodshed! And without involving the twins!" Orchid said, desperately. Vash gave her a grim look.

"Orchid, I know you mean well, but this is my fight. If anything, I will try to keep the twins out of it, but, knowing them, they won't stay out of it." Vash said, calmly, and with a sternness neither of the twins had ever heard before. 

"You're right about that, Dad." Grant said, grimly, determined to see it through, even though the outcome was still uncertain.

"Still, I want to help you. I'm like you, thus, this is also my fight. I may not be able to handle a weapon, but I can still do something." Orchid said, stubbornly. Vash sighed and put a hand to his face in exasperation.

"Fine, then, Orchid. Come on." Vash said, finally relenting to the stubborn female Plant. Orchid smiled, and joined them in their silent march to where destiny waited.

Knives smiled when he saw Vash emerge from the heat haze with two boys on either side of him, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw a woman walking alongside them. When they were within five feet of him, they stopped and stood gazing at him. 

"Well, it looks like you've had fun living as a human." Knives said, as he eyed the twins with some distaste. Both of them were wearing red coats, identical to the one their father wore, and they were gazing back at him with unreadable expressions on their faces, as though they didn't know what to think of him. Then one stepped forward, stopped when he was an even distance between him and Vash, and looked back at his brother. He looked from him to the cream-haired twin, and back again, several times, before said twin spoke up.

"Don't say it, Grant. Don't even think it." The cream-haired twin muttered, with a deadpan expression on his face as he said that. 

"But he does look an awful lot like you, Lee." Grant replied, getting a look of chagrin from his brother.

"At least they have personality. Unlike humans." Knives said, sensing when some anger radiated from his brother.

"Humans have personality too, you just don't know where to look." Lee said, matter-of-factly, bravely looking his blood-uncle in the eye when rage boiled up into Knives' eyes. 

"Humans are animals that need to be eradicated!" Knives snarled, whipping out his gun and aiming it at Lee.

"No you don't!" Vash shouted, as he leaped in front of his son, his gun aimed at Knives, determined to protect his children. Within seconds, a fight for survival had begun. Filled with the daring that ten-year-olds are said to have, both Lee and Grant taunted the enraged Knives as they shot at him, seemingly from all sides. 

"Nyah, nyah! Can't hit a Thomas in the butt!" Lee chortled, as he ducked behind some rocks at the far end of Knives' self-made oasis.

"Vash, your brats are not worth having around! They are a stain on our kind! You know this to be true!" Knives ranted.

"I don't think so. You know why? They remind me of what we could have been, had I understood you better! They work together because they understand one another! I know because I have seen them do this! They saved Wolfwood's life because they worked together, and they freed Legato by working together as well!" Vash replied, from his shelter behind a rock. With a growl, Knives emptied his gun, gathered the bullets into his hand, and threw them. He then reloaded his gun and fired, making the thrown bullets explode over Vash's head. Grant watched helplessly as Knives used that moment to move in, and shot at Vash, in the same instant that Vash shot at him. From where Lee was, he could see the guns land together, and saw his father and Knives leap for the weapons, watching as a standoff ensued. Twice, Vash and Knives mirrored one another, panting heavily as they did so. But the standoff ended when a gunshot sounded, and Vash fell to the ground, clutching his right shoulder.

"Dad!" Lee and Grant yelped, forgetting to remain hidden and rushing to their father's side.

"No……………….go back…………………..he'll kill you!" Vash gasped, as Lee struggled to stanch the heavy bleeding with his hands.

"It's really amazing, Vash. They inherited your softness, that weakness Rem gave you." Knives said, coldly.

"How could you be so cruel? He's your brother!" Grant shouted, greatly disturbed by Knives' apparent lack of feeling.

"I know, child. I am merely punishing him for hurting me." Knives replied, patronizingly, as he aimed his black gun at Vash.

"But that's crazy!" Lee cried, eyes widening when he saw Knives' gun and arm begin to change.

"Grant!" Lee yelped. He got a nod of understanding from his twin, and they again clasped hands, determined to protect their wounded father. Now it was Knives' turn to be surprised, as he watched the twins arms meld into one, and form the Angel Arm gun without the use of a base gun. 

"_How could this be?! They are only half-Plant! They shouldn't be able to do this at all!_" Knives thought, as he watched the energy pulsate around the twins.

"_Never underestimate us, Knives. We're stronger than we look!_" Grant telepathically said, as his young eyes narrowed in determination.

"_We're stronger than you are! We're gonna kick your butt because we know how to work together! And we're stronger because of the people we've had around us; Aunt Milly, Mama, Dad, Uncle Nick, Orchid, and Peter! We're gonna protect them from you, no matter what!_" Lee said, as the Angel Arm evolved into a mightier weapon than it had been before; glistening white with a wing on each twin's back. Seconds later, the whole area was engulfed in energy; one blast from Knives, and the other from the twins. When the dust had settled, they stood in a crater where the oasis had been; both twins were unconscious from having used so much energy, and now rested side by side. Orchid hovered nearby, worried about the twins, but even more worried about Vash, who now stood in front of the twins, ready for a fight, since his Angel Arm was now engaged.

"They canceled me out. Very impressive display, for children so young." Knives commented, then leveled his Angel Arm at Vash.

"_You know you're not a human; you're a Plant._" Knives telepathically said, coldly.

"_I know._" Vash replied, in kind.

"_You'll lose everything, even those twins._" Knives said.

"_I think not._" Vash said, determinedly.

"_You're wrong._" Knives stated, referring to Vash's way of life.

"_I won't be wrong a second time._" Vash replied, as they both fired their guns. Orchid covered the twins as the vortex of power whirled around them, determined to protect them, even if it meant giving up her own life. Luckily for her, that option never comes, for, almost as soon as the vortex had come upon them, it was gone, leaving Vash and Knives standing in front of one another, panting in exhaustion.

"Wha' happened? Orchid, did we miss anything?" Lee asked, sleepily.

"It looks like the fight is over." Orchid said, as she, Lee and Grant looked over at the two men. But Orchid was wrong, for, almost as soon as Vash had collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, Knives refilled his gun and fired, grazing both of Vash's shoulders and his thigh. With a gasp, Vash fell forward. Knives smiled wickedly, walked forward, kicked Vash in the stomach, and picked up Vash's gun. Without a thought, Knives started transforming both of his arms, ignoring the twins cries and pleas for him to stop.

"Vash! The Cross Punisher! Use it!" Orchid shouted, reminding Vash of the one weapon he had left in his arsenal. With a wince, Vash reached into the sand beside him, brought out Wolfwood's Cross Punisher, and fired at the Angel Arms. Knives cried out as bullets imbedded themselves into the Angel Arms, the pain forcing him to transform the arms back into their normal forms. When this had happened, Knives had let go of both guns, and Vash rushed forward, reclaimed his silver gun, reloaded, and fired. He hit Knives in both shoulders and thighs, and even once in the stomach. Silence descended onto the scene as the twins and Orchid approached, coming close just in time to see Knives mouth something to Vash, then pass out from the pain. 

"Is he……………..?" Lee asked, afraid that he'd just witnessed another death. Vash shook his head.

"He's still alive. But I think he understands now. Will you three help me with his wounds?" Vash asked. He got nods from all three. Within a few hours, they had bandaged Knives' wounds, then Orchid moved to his side again and placed both hands on his head.

"What're you doing, Orchid?" Vash asked, as the twins struggled to get his shoulder bandaged (it wasn't going very well).

"A little mental healing. He should be in a better frame of mind when he wakes up." Orchid said, as a glow appeared briefly around her, then faded.

"Ready to go?" Vash asked.

"Yeah. Let's go home, Dad." Grant said, sounding like he was looking forward to seeing his mother again. Without another word, Vash stood, slung Knives over his shoulder, then started walking, with his sons and Orchid at his side.

__

And when I pass by, don't lead me astray. Don't try to stop me, don't stand in my way. I'm bound for the hills, where cool waters flow. When this road finally takes me home.


End file.
